Some Kind of Monster
by KimyouTeki
Summary: Yaoi. Bizarro Universe. One day Ryou snapped at Bakura, surprising them both. The next day, he slapped Bakura's face. From that point, the abuse escalated quickly... WARNINGS: Abuse, Humiliation, Possible Death.
1. Sad but True

Kimyo: Welcome to my new story. For this, I coin a new code: BU-- Bizarro Universe.

Alot of elements from many sources came together to create this.

WARNINGS: Angst, Abuse, Humiliation.

_Some Kind of Monster_ is the name of a documentary about the band Metallica. They are my all-time favorites. Each chapter is named after one of their songs.

**Chapter One**

**Sad but True**

It was Wednesday, the first of June-- too hot and bright for Ryou's liking. Home from school, he hurried in, closing the door quickly to shut out the heat and preserve the air conditioning. He winced as the door slammed shut behind him.

He dropped his backpack in the nearest corner, and called out, "Where are you, Bakura?"

After a few seconds, Ryou saw him-- he came from the living room, head lowered, stepping lightly. Bakura greeted his hikari softly. "Welcome back home."

"Yes, thank you. It's good to be home." He walked to the kitchen, and Bakura followed. "School is downright intolerable these days." He began to make dinner.

Bakura kept his distance. "I drew your bath."

"Thank you. I'll just set this stew to cook, first." He began chopping vegetables.

Bakura watched his hikari work with dexterity, taking in the sight. He fought back the desire to walk over and embrace the one he loved.

"Did anyone call today?"

"Yes."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. I didn't answer."

Ryou snapped the knife down on the cutting board and cast his yami a stern glare. "Why not?"

Bakura tried to keep his expression casual. "I still don't know how to work it. It has too many buttons..."

Growling, Ryou walked to the phone on the opposite wall, wiping his hands on his apron. Bakura heard him mutter, "How stupid can you be..."

Picking it up, he listened, then punched in a few numbers and listened to the messages. Bakura ambled over and stood next to him, watching his face.

Ryou had distaste etched upon his face as he listened to the first one. Bakura thought it must be Ryou's ex. Ryou deleted the message, and the next one made him smile. He took a moment to whisper, "It's my father."

Bakura was glad Ryou had a reason to smile again. Ryou had been horribly unhappy for months now.

After a few seconds, the smile vanished and anger took its place. Ryou lowered his head, the receiver in his hand still playing the message.

_"I'll make it up to you, I promise..." _Then a click and silence.

Bakura couldn't see Ryou's eyes.

After some time, Ryou said, "He's not coming."

As Bakura tried to think up some words of comfort, Ryou's slack form sprang to life. He slammed the receiver into its cradle, then brought it back and smashed it against the plastic base over and over. He stopped, catching his breath.

He took notice of Bakura, who couldn't stop staring at him.

_"What? _What is it?" Without a thought, he swung and struck Bakura in the arm with the receiver.

Bakura cried out and grabbed at his arm, intending to massage the pain away. Ryou didn't give him the chance. He swung again, hitting him repeatedly in the face and about the head, letting out cries of frustration as Bakura stood there and took it.

It had started simply enough.

Ryou had left town. He'd been gone for weeks, and Bakura had had no idea where he was. Then Ryou had come back, simply waltzing in as if he was back from the corner store. He was different-- not that Yugi and those other blind idiots could tell. Ryou still wore his mask of friendliness around everyone except Bakura. Bakura preferred Ryou's honesty.

One day Ryou had snapped at him, surprising them both. The next day, he had slapped Bakura's face. It had escalated from there on.

The hard plastic connected with Bakura's temple. The world spun, and Bakura's knees weakened. He dropped to his knees, then fell on his ass, blinking up at Ryou.

Seeing his yami with blood trickling down his face snapped Ryou out of his anger.

"Oh. Bakura." He helped Bakura slowly get to his feet. "Are you alright? I'm sorry."

Bakura couldn't stand on his own. He had to cling to Ryou.

Ryou looked at the wound, wiping the blood away with his thumb, then absentmindedly sucking his thumb clean.

"I'm so sorry. Come, let me clean it." He led Bakura to the bathroom.

Once there, he sat Bakura on one of the bathstools. Bakura watched Ryou gather bandages, cottonballs, and disinfectant. They were both growing accustomed to this routine.

Bakura fought the desire to smile.

He didn't mind the abuse-- in fact, he welcomed it-- because afterwards, Ryou got apologetic and doted on him. He found that Ryou felt guiltiest if he simply kept his mouth shut and acted stoic. Ryou knelt before his yami and dabbed the wound with a cottonball. Bakura twitched at the coldness.

Ryou's brow creased further. "Oh. Sorry." He dabbed more gently. "I'm so sorry, BakuChan..."

Bakura was torn at the moment. On one hand, Ryou's face was close to his, so he wanted to keep his eyes open and gaze at his light's beautiful face. On the other hand, Ryou had to get between Bakura's legs to treat his injury, so he wanted to close his eyes and revel in their intimate position. As a result, Bakura's eyelids fluttered. To Ryou, it looked as if he might faint.

Once Ryou had put a bandage on Bakura's temple, he helped his yami get to their bedroom. He helped Bakura change, then tucked him into the king-sized bed they shared.

"Get some rest. I'll bring you dinner in a while."

Bakura didn't realize he was smiling as he cozied into the big soft bed, all the while gazing up at his love.

Ryou returned the smile. "I'm so glad you're okay. See you soon." He left, closing the door gently.

Bakura snuggled deeper into the comforter, only his face exposed to the air conditioning. He felt very cozy and happy indeed. He closed his eyes, remembering Ryou's every touch.

_Mmm... I love it when he touches me... My precious light..._

The abuse was escalating fast. This was the first time Ryou used something other than his hand to hit Bakura.

_That's fine with me. You only think you're hurting me. The truth, Dear Light, is that I could snap you in two if I so wished. If letting you think you're in charge makes you feel better, so be it._

Bakura shook with a brief chuckle. "Dance for me, Puppet."

**1  
sad but true  
finish**


	2. Welcome Home Sanitarium

KimyouTeki: Thanks to marikslildevil, dragonlady 222, 0kurayami0, Nyami Rose, ladygodess, and Thunderstorm101 for reviewing!

**Two  
Welcome Home  
Sanitarium**

Ryou was in hell.

It was a bright sunny day and he was in class. Yugi sat on his left, with Yami in the seat behind him, and Anzu was at his right. Anzu kept giving Ryou notes to pass to Yugi or Yami, and he did so with his standard fake smile. Every time he smiled at Anzu (or anyone else lately), his mind screamed, _How stupid are you that you buy this? Can't you see through the mask?_

Chin on hand, elbow on desk, Ryou fought the desire to scream or burst into tears.

The teacher's voice droned as he read from the teacher's guide and scratched an assignment out on the chalkboard. The image jumped into Ryou's mind of how cool it would be to stand up right now-- just stride up the aisle, straight up to the teacher as he tried to order Ryou back to his seat, all authority suddenly gone.

Ryou closed his eyes and entertained the fantasy of pulling out a hand-cannon and splattering the old fool's brains all over his algebra equations. Ryou could vividly see red paint on the green and white board, with pinkish gray flecks of brain matter in it. The corner of his mouth perked.

Then he sighed through his nostrils. _Of course, you can never do such things in real life. There's jail._ He smiled. _But there's also Bakura. He'll be waiting for me, as he does every day. _

Ryou's smile widened.

o o o

The door to the elegantly decorated, well over-air-conditioned waiting room opened and Jouno Wheeler entered. He looked around for a moment before striding over to the secretary's desk. He brought a couple of jars out of his pocket and the pills inside rattled as he set them on the glass desktop. The secretary looked at the jars, then at Jouno.

"They don't work," he said matter-of-factly. "Is the doc ready to see me yet?"

Once in the doctor's office, Jouno began perusing the shelves. Dr. Wong, a tall, slim woman with her wavy hair tied back, watched from her leather chair as Jouno picked out a psychoanalytical manual and began thumbing through it.

After a few seconds, he asked, "Did you ever read _Primal Scream?"_

"Yes."

"I saw it at a used book store years ago. The cover was just white except for the title and a little smear of blood. I thought it looked cool, so I bought it."

He snorted. "It classified homo- and bi- sexuality as mental problems that could be solved by screaming for your parents. Such bullshit. 'Course, I can hardly remember it, so I might be oversimplifying."

He closed the book and slid it back into its slot on the shelf. He faced Dr. Wong. "But I gotta wonder, ya know..."

He walked over to the couch and sat down. "What would we be like-- all of us, the entire human race-- if we didn't each have our parents screw us up in some way?"

He glanced over at Dr. Wong's inquiring gaze.

"... I can't remember'em worth a shit. My dad was a loser, and my mom's an uptight bitch with a stupid hairstyle."

"Your father 'was'?"

"Oh, he's not dead." Jouno frowned at the ceiling. "'Course, he could be by now..." He shrugged. "Not that I care."

"And what about your sister? How's Serenity?"

Jouno's expression brightened a little. "I called her before I came over..." His smile faded and he almost imperceptably shook his head. "I could hear it in her voice, though... how scared she was... I let her go pretty quick."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Fuhgeddabout it, Doc. My parents and friends are all terrified of me. Why wouldn't she jump on the bandwagon?" Sighing, he sat back and looked around for a clock.

"There's no need to think about time constraints, Jouno. My entire afternoon is clear."

A blush seemed to creep up Jouno's face as his eyes darkened. He slipped his feet out of his 'inside' shoes and crossed his legs. "Is this okay?"

"Of course."

"You sure you can put up with my stinky feet?"

"Actually, my sense of smell is very poor. Why don't you tell me how the rest of your week has been?"

Jouno shrugged. "Meh... 'Nother typical week. School ended. The only ones still going are the straight A students who wanna cram, makes me glad my scores are so shitty... And I still obsess over Kaiba."

He covered the side of his face with one hand. "Man... It's so humiliating... I think I got a crush on him the first time we spoke. Have you ever spoken to Kaiba yourself?"

She nodded.

"Then you've heard it too, right? How sexy his voice is? Oh, god, it's so sexy... I could probably get off to a recording of him reading the dictionary."

His blush deepened.

"Just hearing his voice... seeing his face... it makes me feel so alive. I feel all this desire, like I'll die if I don't touch him."

Jouno brought his knees up to his chest. "He's..."

He hugged his knees and tilted his head forward, causing his bangs to spill forward and conceal his face.

"... I never knew I could need someone as much as I need him."

o o o

When Ryou came home from class, he found Bakura sitting cross-legged on the floor just inside the front door, waiting to greet him. Ryou smiled his first honest smile all day. Then he blinky-blinked at Bakura's chagrined expression.

"BakuChan, what's wrong?"

"You didn't leave me anything for lunch." To accentuate this fact, the thief's stomach growled.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He helped Bakura to his feet, and they went to the kitchen, Ryou's arm around Bakura's waist.

o o o

"I need a new prescription."

Jouno became agitated now. He lowered his knees and looked around the room-- behind him, out the window, down over the sides of the couch. "Sometimes I still see things at night. And I keep having all these fucked up nightmares. Last night I dreamed I was a tourist in Egypt and I witnessed the execution of a child.

"He was ten or twelve, and they were punishing him because he was gay. They took him to a gallows. I just stood there and watched as they put the noose around his neck and pushed him."

Jouno sweatdropped, a fearful, faraway look in his eyes. "But instead of breaking his neck, he fell into a drum of boiling oil. When they pulled him out by the rope around his neck, he was mummified."

"Do you fear persecution for your love of another man?"

"I don't know..." He wiped a cold sweat off his brow and sat back again. "My mind is so fucked up." He tapped the side of his head. "Something's broken in here. I just wish I knew what it was."

o o o

One of Ryou's nails was broken. Bakura dutifully began filing it down to minimize the damage.

They'd had dinner and a bath. Ryou had allowed Bakura to wash him (everything except his privates), and they'd soaked in the tub together. Now they were on the large plush couch in the livingroom, and Bakura was doing Ryou's nails, which he enjoyed as an opportunity to hold hands with his light for a prolonged time.

Ryou was reading from a sheaf of papers he held up in his free hand, computer printouts from school.

Bakura was focused on making Ryou's hands as beautiful as the rest of him was. Upon his return from out of town, Ryou's hands had been horribly rough and callused, which made Bakura wonder what Ryou had been doing. He still had no idea, and could tell that Ryou had no intention of divulging anything. Maybe it was for the best that Bakura didn't know. He had a suspicion that another man was involved.

_I wish I could have you all to myself. No one will ever love you as much as I do. Someday, Dear Light, I'll make you see that. I'll make you look at me the way you've looked at so many other men._

"Bakura?"

"Yes?"

"I asked you to clean up today. Why didn't you do it?"

Bakura sweatdropped. "I washed the dishes and took out the trash. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"But I also asked you to dust. Why didn't you do it? It doesn't take very long, and you're here all day while I'm at my classes."

Bakura sat back, letting go of Ryou's hand, and narrowed his eyes. "... I'm not a housewife."

Ryou's voice stayed calm and even, as if he were addressing a child. "But you are staying here free of charge, and I provide you with food, clothes, and a place to sleep. I'm not asking too much, am I? Or should I come home from school and spend my evenings working, too?" 

Bakura's brow furrowed.

"Well?"

"... No."

"Will you clean up tomorrow?"

"... O... Okay..."

"I'll make a list, then. It's not that much, BakuChan, so don't worry."

o o o

Jouno curled up, sighing noisily.

"Last night..." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Last night, I had another one of those fits. I couldn't help it. I just started screaming and pounding the shit out of the walls. I screamed so loud... My throat is still sore. It hurts to swallow. My hands hurt, too."

"What caused it?"

"I don't know. All day--" He shook his head. "All week, I've been flipping out and pitching fits over the stupidest things, like this time I was craving ice cream and thought I had just one Drumstick left, but Honda had eaten it. I got so angry. I wanted to go over to his place and ..." He shook his head emphatically.

"Did you want to hurt him?"

"Yeah. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. I've developed this knee-jerk reaction towards violence. I've been able to stop myself from actually doing anything, but I still fantasize about it."

"It's good that you exercise self-control."

"Thanks, but I don't know how much longer I can last."

"Would you like to be admitted--"

"No. I don't think it'll come to that, at least, I hope it won't. I just need a new prescription."

"For the mood stabilizer or anti-psychotic?"

"Neither of them worked for me." Jouno made eye contact, hoping Dr. Wong would see how scared and desperate he was.

"Is it possible that I'm beyond help?"

o o o

"Thank you, BakuChan."

Ryou assessed his nails. "You did a very good job. They're lovely."

The corners of Bakura's mouth perked at the compliment.

"Why don't we watch a movie?"

Bakura's expression darkened.

"Don't worry. It's not _The Ring."_

"Oh. Good."

Ryou started up the DVD, then snuggled up with Bakura, their arms around each other.

Bakura sighed softly and leaned his head into the hollow where Ryou's neck and shoulder met, feeling the silken warmth of his skin, smelling his sweet bathwash and shampoo, both vanilla scented.

_Mmmhh..._

Bakura fell asleep in his aibou's arms before the coming attractions were done playing.

**2  
welcome home  
sanitarium  
finish**


	3. Until It Sleeps

**Three  
**

**Until It Sleeps**

Bakura couldn't stop sneezing.

_Sickening... The king of thieves... on all fours doing this menial housework!_

Cloth in hand, he wiped a thick layer of dust off from around the base of the lamp on the end table beside the couch. Bright afternoon light filtered through the gauzy curtains, heating the interior. Ryou had shown Bakura how to turn on the air conditioning, but he'd forgotten again. He had stood and scrutinized the Ra-damned contraption on several occasions throughout the day, for a few minutes each time, but he simply could not understand what the hell he was supposed to do.

_Humiliating... I feel like such an idiot... He'll be pissed when he gets home and it's not cold in here..._

The front door opened rather suddenly. "Bakura!"

He knew it had to be Ryou, he even recognized his hikari's voice in spite of its brashness. However, he was still startled. Bumping something with his arm, he looked in time to watch the lamp crash into the hardwood floor. Then he looked at the doorway and Ryou was glaring at him.

o o o

Jouno huddled and hugged his long coat tighter around himself as he walked down the hall to his apartment, his bootheels knocking on the hardwood floor. He walked with his head low, a plastic grocery bag hanging from one hand, swaying with each step. It was night, but there were overhead lights every six feet illuminating everything, so Jouno was okay. Relatively.

As he trudged ever closer to his front door, he passed the interminable seconds by mumbling to himself under his breath:

"Night falls upon me like a suffocating shroud. I. Can't. Breathe. The night hangs over me, threatening to devour me. The night has teeth and an apetite..." He chuckled dryly. "I should write a novel. Honda would laugh his ass off."

It was June, yet Jouno was shivering under his heavy coat, covered head to toe in a cold sweat. He had no explanation for this. It had become all too common for him lately, not to mention all the other--

He sneezed loudly, then rubbed his nose. He was standing before his door now, keys in hand.

Almost home.

He looked up and down the empty corridor one last time before unlocking the door and going inside.

o o o

Ryou stared at the shards of porcelain lying at Bakura's feet. Bakura waited. Finally, Ryou opened his mouth:

"That... was... my mother's..."

He looked at Bakura. Bakura didn't offer an apology or explanation. He stood frozen, waiting for Ryou to punish him. Ryou didn't disappoint.

"How _stupid_ are you?" He rushed forward and shoved Bakura, knocking him on his ass. "Asshole."

Bakura still didn't speak. He knew it was his place to apologize for his mistake, but he had no intention of groveling at Ryou's feet. He got to his knees and moved to stand again, but Ryou grabbed him. Twisting his fingers in a handful of Bakura's hair, he forced Bakura forward and shoved his face to the floor, into the mess of shards.

_"Aannh!"_ Bakura gritted his teeth, not letting anymore sounds escape his lips.

"Don't you know how to apologize when you fuck up? I'm sure you've had plenty of practice at the Pharaoh's feet, right?"

Bakura squirmed and tried to get away.

Ryou gripped him painfully. Raising Bakura's head, he then smacked it into the floor. Dazed, Bakura stopped struggling.

"That's right. Stay down."

He got up and left Bakura lying there.

Once Ryou was gone, Bakura smirked at the empty doorway.

_He can be commanding when he wants to... So sexy..._

o o o

The lights in Jouno's apartment were all on, and the radio was playing. This was how Jouno had left things, because he'd known it would be dark when he got back.

There had been a time he'd not felt the need to have all the lights on and disturbance running 24/7. There'd been a time when he'd felt at ease in his apartment, on the street, anywhere alone. He wished things could be that way again. He wished more than anything that he could be sane again, for a long list of reasons.

Serenity and Seto Kaiba were high up on that list.

Sighing, he let his coat fall off of his shoulders and tossed it over the armrest of his easy chair, then went to the bathroom to take a leak.

After a second he came back and turned the stereo up, because he couldn't hear it in the bathroom.

o o o

Bakura sat on the floor, knees drawn up and hugged to his chest, back resting against the couch, watching Ryou sweep up the lamp's remains. Ryou worked quietly, offering Bakura not so much as a cursory glance. He swept the larger shards into the dustpan, then took them away and returned with a wet cloth, wiping the floor to get the shards that were too small to see. He finished, then left without a word.

After a few seconds-- only the time needed for a trip to the kitchen trash can-- Ryou came back and leaned against the door frame, staring at Bakura with a calmer, less readable expression on his face. Bakura looked up at him, bits of porcelain still pressed into his forehead.

After a long silence, Ryou broke into a soft chuckle and smiled down at his yami. "Oh, BakuChan..."

He walked over and offered his hand, helping Bakura to his feet. "I'm sorry. But you should have been more careful. You understand, don't you?"

Bakura slowly nodded.

"Let's go get you cleaned up, then. Dinner will have to be late." He walked Bakura up that familiar route to the bathroom.

o o o

Jouno blasted the Metallica. It was 3:30, but he still couldn't sleep. He thrashed back and forth in bed, thoroughly frustrated. He'd tried everything he could think of-- warm milk, counting sheep, reading, masturbation-- but he simply could not fall asleep. He'd tried to turn the lights off, but after just a few minutes had begun to see things and figures moving in the darkness. Although he'd tried to tell himself that nothing was there, he'd wound up hyperventilating and having to turn the lights back on.

_"Fuck."_ He let out a loud growl and, sitting up, snatched the remote off the nightstand. "I give up. I fucking give up." He turned on the TV and began channel surfing.

There was nothing good on. Jouno wrinkled his nose. _So many channels and I still can't find anything. Who the fuck decides to put this shit on the air? How stupid are they?_

His finger went to the _power_ button, but he stopped himself, because he had a change of heart. _While I'm here, I might as well check my e-mail._

Grabbing the wireless keyboard off the nightstand, he turned it on and waited while it connected.

It had been Serenity's Xmas gift to Jouno-- a WebTV terminal. This had struck Jouno as a completely out of left field gift. Jouno had never shown any interest in the internet, not even the porn.

However, once he had it, he'd taken right to it. It was as if Serenity knew somehow.

The messages came on. _Dialing... Waiting... Connecting... Connecting to MSN..._

He waited and stared at the three small lights on the front of the device-- a green one, a yellow one, and a red one. The yellow light blinked while a page was loading. The green light indicated power on. The red light shone when Jouno had gotten e-mail. The green light was on, and the yellow light was blinking. Jouno waited to see if the red light would come on.

It didn't.

Jouno sighed, a wry grin playing on his lips. _Well, nobody loves me._

The connection was complete. The MSN logo, a butterfly, was emblazened across the screen for a few seconds, then faded into Jouno's home page.

The homepage was basically a menu of stuff Jouno never looked at, and news items he never read. He couldn't help but skim them in the time it took him to type in whatever web address he wanted to visit, and he didn't like it-- the news were depressing. He usually shook his head at it before going off to fanfiction archives or online games but tonight, something caught his eye.

_Top Gaming Company:  
Help Wanted_

Top gaming company... Kaiba?

Jouno clicked on the headline, and while the page loaded, he thought to himself how cool it would be if he could get that job, whatever it was. Be close to Kaiba all day. Have an excuse to be running into him all the time.

He was smiling without realizing it.

He snapped to and looked at the story. His face drooped as he was greeted not by Kaiba's irresistable cerulean gaze, but a photo of some androgynous piece of euro-trash in a maroon suit with frilly cuffs and collar, and waist length pink hair. The "top gaming company" was the Schroeder Corporation.

Jouno stuck his lip out, narrowing his eyes in a scowl. _Schroeder Corporation? SCHROEDER? Never heard of this asswipe! Everyone knows the Top Gaming Company in the world is Kaiba Corp! Whoever wrote this headline should be shot!_

"Asshole," Jouno muttered about the nameless, absent writer of this article.

o o o

"Pale skin is almost impossible to scar, so don't worry about it, BakuChan."

Ryou put the blue stuff away in the medicine chest, then closed the door with a _squeak_ and turned to smile at Bakura, who was sitting on one of the bathstools.

"It's getting late. I'd better go start making dinner. Do you want to help?"

"Okay."

Ryou led Bakura by the hand down the hall, towards the stairs. Bakura gazed lovingly at his hikari's form.

_My Beautiful Light... You enjoy this as much as I do, neh? I saw how gleefully you pounced on the opportunity to take your anger out on me. I can tell that you need it, and I'm the only one you can get this relief from. No one else can see how much pain you're in. No one else cares, but I do. I love you, Ryou. I'll tell you a million times... but only in my mind._

**3  
until it sleeps  
finish**

KimyouTeki: What'd ya think? This child's (I call all my stories 'child')still in its infancy, but I feel a plot taking shape. Please chime in any suggestions or thoughts if you want to help the story along!

Thanks for reviewing go to marikslildevil, Thunderstorm101, dragonlady222, Serenity Meowth, and DarkAngstKoi! See ya next update!


	4. Am I Evil?

**Warning:** This chapter has references to harming a child gravely. 

PS. There is no actual website called Wrenchan, so don't go lookin' for it. 

**Four  
Am I Evil?**

* * *

Jouno took the clipboard the secretary handed him and skimmed the small, tightly packed print. "And how much does this pay?" 

"If you meet our criteria, you'll start at fifteen dollars an hour." 

Jouno let out an impressed whistle. "There's a criteria for playin' games?" 

"Have a seat and fill out as much as you can. You'll be called shortly."

* * *

E-mail Message   
From: GoldenEyes   
To: GoldenPuppy   
Subject: Re: Any good Loli-Con sites? 

Hey, Puppy, I've recently stumbled upon this great place called Wrenchan. Have fun, but don't go into the section called "Guro". I made that mistake... ugh. 

It's vile. Pictures of bishoujo being cut open and dismembered, their faces twisted in absolute horror. And this actually turns some guys on! I prefer pictures of bishies and bishoujos who are enjoying themselves, thank you.

* * *

Bakura winced at the sound of a knife tapping the cutting board as Ryou chopped vegetables in the kitchen. 

He paused in the hallway, leaning against the table to steady himself. His head was swimming. 

He groaned and clutched his midsection. His stomach hurt, too. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and clung to the doorframe. Ryou's back was turned to him. He waited patiently for Ryou to turn around and see him. 

Ryou finished chopping and half-turned to toss the carrot chips into the pot. His peripheral vision caught Bakura, and he looked up. 

"BakuChan." There was a trace of concern in his voice and gaze. "Daijoubu ka?" 

"My stomach... I'm really hungry." 

"It'll be about an hour. You'll need to wait." He walked over, taking off his apron and slinging it over the counter. "You should go back upstairs and lay down again. You look so tired..." 

Bakura's eyelid twitched. He was a little angry at his light because Ryou was not being as kind and apologetic as he usually was. He was acting as if Bakura had been hurt by someone else, or perhaps a force of nature. 

He draped his arms around Ryou's shoulders. "Help me to bed?" 

Their noses were within two inches of each other. Bakura could feel the warmth of his sweet light's body, his soft exhalations. 

Ryou smiled, and Bakura drew him into an embrace. Neither of them spoke for a few, long, wonderful seconds. 

The silence was abruptly broken when Ryou remembered the pot he'd left unattended on the stove. 

"Oh!" He pushed Bakura away and ran back into the kitchen. 

Bakura stood dumbly for a short time. All he could hear was the grandfather clock in the hallway ticking. 

The phone rang. 

There were three phones in the house-- the kitchen one with all those Ra-damned buttons, a cordless one in the master bedroom which screeched in your ear if you tried to use it, and the ugly green one in the hallway. 

The ugly green one was a simple old-fashioned one with a _Brrriiing!_ that grated on Bakura's nerves. Ryou had once said that when it rang, Bakura jumped like a spooked cat. Bakura hated answering the phone-- he hated it even more since seeing the movie _The Ring_. But Ryou nagged him if he didn't answer it, so... 

"Mushi mushi?" 

Yami's voice: "Bakura, it's _Moshi moshi_." 

"Don't tell me how to pronounce modern words, you sorry excuse for a pharaoh. Why are you calling my light?" 

"You mean, your precious light...?" 

"Shut the fuck up. What do you want?" 

"I was wondering if we should talk." 

"About what, how I'm going to destroy you?" 

"Now's not the time for bravado, Bakura. I think we should meet somewhere, just the two of us. I want to talk to you about sex." 

Bakura sputtered out a huge guffaw, dropping the phone. He picked it up off the floor. The laughter had him now-- it was hard to catch a breath. He managed to say, "Thanks for the laugh, Pharaoh!" into the receiver before hanging up and gripping the edge of the phone table for balance as he laughed. 

He couldn't stop laughing, it was so horrifically funny. The pharaoh, wanting to talk about sex! 

Laughter turned to a coughing fit, and he felt something come up and splatter on his hand, hot and slimy. He looked down at the crimson glob in his hand, then everything went gray, and the world tilted out of focus as he fell, losing consciousness. He did not feel it when he hit the cold hardwood floor.

* * *

"Okay, Sakamoto San, follow my finger with just your eyes." 

The old doctor with kind eyes and a soft voice moved his extended index finger back and forth in front of Jouno's field of vision. He followed it as faithfully as he could. 

The doctor used a penlight to look at Jouno's pupils, then wrote something down. 

"You'll be alright, Sakamoto San. One of my associates will be here in a short while to clean you and stitch you up, and then we can discharge you." 

Jouno lowered his head. "Arigatou gozaimasu." 

The doctor smiled and left. 

After he was gone, Jouno looked at his reflection in the window. It was faint. He could only make out the vaguest features-- some blonde hair, and a red circle behind which hid a face. A face Jouno did not wish to see. 

The only physical sensations registering right now were the throbbing in his forehead and knuckles, hot and alive. He thought about what had led to those injuries and a fresh wave of self-loathing washed over him. 

_What the hell came over me?_

* * *

Ryou answered for him. "We were mugged. I handed my wallet over right away, but Bakura doesn't carry one. The guy didn't believe him, and a fight ensued." 

Bakura was laying on his side, feeling like a lame animal. A doctor was sewing up a gash that had been hidden under Bakura's long white hair. 

"Did you see all of it?" 

"Yes. Bakura was pushed head-first into a brick wall, then, once he was on the ground, he was kicked in the stomach and head many times. There wasn't anything I could do." 

"That's alright. You did the right thing, not putting up a fight." To Bakura, he said, "You're lucky the guy didn't have a gun. You should be more careful. I'm almost done." 

"Then we can go home, right?" 

"We have to do an MRI and a CT scan to make sure he's got no internal damage. I'm gonna recommend that he stay overnight. You'll also need to fill out a police report." 

Bakura couldn't see Ryou from where he lay, but he felt it in the conversational lull. Ryou was angry. Through his daze, he wondered if this would be the time Ryou blew up at a stranger. He waited, holding his breath without realizing what he was doing. 

"... Okay, if that's what you think is best." 

_Nice, normal conversation. Fool them all, Precious Light._

The doctor finished and rolled his stool away, standing and heading for the door. "I'll admit him and have him moved to a semi-private room. Be right back." Then he was gone. 

Ryou moved into Bakura's field of vision, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed, then cupping his chin in his hands. 

He sighed, "This'll be expensive." 

Bakura thought for a minute that Ryou would get angry at him for costing him money. Maybe he'd even start beating him here in the hospital. But he didn't. All Ryou did was sit there staring at his yami with that strange unreadable gaze. That was somehow worse.

* * *

Jouno wasn't surprised when the door opened and Dr. Wong entered. 

He expected her to launch into a tirade of questions he wouldn't want to answer, but all she did was pull up a chair and sit beside him, looking over his injuries. After a minute, she said, "You're a famous duelist, Mr. Wheeler. You shouldn't lie about your name." 

"Did they call you?" 

"Yes. Dr. Yamazaki is a friend. He was concerned for you." 

He took hold of Wong's hand. "You can't tell Kaiba what happened, okay? He'd kill me if he knew." 

"I'm your psychologist, Jouno. Everything you tell me is confidential." 

Tears welled up in Jouno's eyes and he fought the urge to hug Paoma Wong then and there. He leaned back again, covering his eyes with one hand. "He'd kill me if he knew. He'd murder me." 

"Tell me how it started."

* * *

"Are you going to stay with me?" 

"Of course, BakuChan." Ryou's voice and expression seemed lighter now. 

"I'm sorry." 

"For what, BakuChan?" 

"I'm sorry to be costing you so much money..." Bakura was playing the _humble_ card for all it was worth. 

"Don't worry, BakuChan. It's perfectly alright." 

Bakura scooted over in his hospital bed and drew back the covers, inviting his light to join him. Ryou climbed onto the bed and into his yami's embrace. He let out a soft, contented sigh. He smiled at Bakura. "Goodnight, BakuChan." 

"Goodnight." He kissed his hikari's eyelids as softly as the flutter of a moth's wing. They fell asleep easily, because they were together.

* * *

"I got an e-mail from an internet buddy telling me about this website where I could look at pictures." 

"Mm hmm..." 

"It was Loli-Con. Do you know what that is?" 

"Yes." 

"Anyway, he told me to stay out of this section called _Guro_, but I was curious, so I looked anyway. I was shocked at first, but I found myself turned on." He covered his face with both hands, his breathing heavy and jagged. 

"Next thing I knew, my hand was down my boxers and I was jerking off. At first it was about the girls in the pictures, but my mind wandered... and I don't know why, but I couldn't stop thinking about Kaiba's baby brother." 

Dr. Wong frowned, but said nothing. 

"I fantasized about raping him. I could imagine his eyes wide with fear, his voice as he begged me to stop. I could practically feel him underneath me, surrounding me..." He stole a glance at the doctor, expecting to see disgust, but she wore her usual professional expression. 

"That's not even the worst part. I _liked_ it. I liked thinking about Mokuba that way. The orgasm was intense. I passed out afterwards. That's when it gets worse. I dreamed that I killed Mokuba and was raping his corpse. And I was _enjoying_ it." 

Tears were pouring down his face. 

"Is that why you hurt yourself?" 

"Yes, because I deserved it! I'm sick! I don't know what the hell's wrong with me! I should've done the right thing and killed myself!" He sobbed into his hands, his face hot, his body shaking violently. 

He gasped as he felt the needle penetrate his arm. He looked at it, then up at Dr. Wong. 

"We'll have to readmit you, so you won't hurt yourself. You'll be okay, Mr. Wheeler." 

Jouno fell gratefully unconscious.

* * *

It was a private room in the most respectable-- and, thanks to contributions from Kaiba Corp-- poshest mental health facility in all of Japan. There was plush carpeting, a flatscreen TV, and a large private bath. The lighting was dim enough for Jouno to sleep, but glowed brightly enough for nurses to check in on him. 

The door opened and a tall, slim male figure entered, then quietly closed the door behind himself. He swept across the room to where Jouno's unconscious form lay snoring softly. 

He leaned over the blonde, gazing at his face for a long time with deep cerulean eyes. He took hold of Jouno's hand, its wrist bound in a leather shackle, its knuckles bound in medical tape. 

His voice was a deep, sensual murmurr: 

"Stop trying to destroy yourself, Wheeler." He kissed Jouno's sleeping face, then left before anyone saw him.

* * *

**4  
am i evil?  
finish**


	5. Don't Tread on Me

_Deep down they must know that we're beyond help._

Jouno rubbed the dust out of his eyes with his free hand. His other hand was hefting a manila folder holding a sheaf of papers-- notes he'd jotted down while in the hospital. His head hurt, especially behind his eyeballs. The voices of the other patients were still echoing in his mind, but at least he was free now. Four days had passed.

He couldn't stop thinking about the movie _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_, and that scene from _Psycho_ where Norman Bates describes howdreadful one of those places was.

_They were so right. _

Jouno Wheeler had lied his way out. He told the counselor what he knew the old fart wanted to hear, and promised to strictly adhere to his medication/psychotherapy schedule. Yeah, those things were _so helpful_.

Truth was, Jouno felt worse than ever. His dreams were still fucked up-- just the night before, he'd dreamed of strangling and raping Serenity. The night before that, he'd dreamed of molesting Mokuba in front of Kaiba as an attempt to seduce him into a threesome.

Reaching the curb, he looked up and down the street. The mental health facility he'd just been discharged from was a vast complex nestled somewhere between Domino City and Tokyo. The buildings boxed in with wrought-iron gates were the only buildings in sight, surrounded by overgrown fields with clusters of trees here and there.

Jouno took in a deep breath of fresh air and sighed it out, then ambled over in the direction of the bus stop nearby.

He heard an engine approaching and looked up as a lavender limousine pulled alongside him.

Jouno thought he might vomit. What kind of candy-ass narcissist would drive such a vehicle?

He soon found out. The shiny black window rolled down and Jouno found himself face to face with the androgynous piece of Euro-trash himself.

He smiled. "Salutations, Herr Vheeler."

Jouno heard footsteps approaching quickly and looked up to see a big burly guy in a black uniform, sporting black sunglasses. Jouno recoiled in anticipation of being hit or grabbed, but the guy stopped short of laying a hand on him and opened the door. The guy was Schroeder's chauffeur.

"Vy don't ve have a talk, Herr Vheeler?" His facial expression was a little too _Come Hither_ for Jouno's comfort.

He arched a brow, feeling a sheen of sweat at his hairline. "And vat-- what would we talk about?"

"Vy, your new career at Schroeder Corp, of course."

* * *

Bakura stared at the clock over the mantel. 

It was 2:30. Only one more hour 'til Ryou got home.

Bakura milled around the house, not going anywhere, not doing anything.

He gravitated into the kitchen and sat at the table, resting his chin in his hand.

There was nothing to do but wait for Ryou. What the hell else was there?

The phone rang and Bakura jumped. Blushing, he looked around, half-expecting, half-hoping Ryou would be standing in the doorway, chuckling at how cute he could be.

_Great. Just great. I don't wanna be stuck talking to some asshole!_

Nonetheless, he hopped out of his seat and jogged over to the only phone he knew how to use, the ugly green one in the hallway.

"Mushi Mushi." _What the hell ya want, Asshole?_

"Hi, Bakura. It's been awhile."

Bakura's breath caught in his throat, and a heat crept up his face. "Malik."

"I'm kinda glad you answered instead of Ryou. How's he doing?"

"He's fine. When are you coming back?"

"Well, that's why I'm calling. We're at the airport right now."

"Do you need someone to come get you and Mariku?" Bakura said that with more energy than he'd meant to.

"No, we're about to board the flight home. Mariku and I should get there later tonight. Do you think you and Ryou might wanna get together?"

"Ryou is very busy these days."

"Oh... Then, why don't you come, Bakura? We'd really love to see you."

Bakura felt a twinge in the region ofhis scrotum. His face got even hotter as he sat down to catch his breath.

"Okay. I'll try to get away."

"Meet us at the clubhouse about 9 o'clock. Sound good?"

Bakura nodded.

"... Bakura? You there?"

"Um, yes. I'll be there tonight."

"Okay, good." His voice seemed to take on a sensual tone: "Can't wait to see you, Thief."

* * *

Jouno sweatdropped. "Playing videogames is a career now?" 

He laughed, "No, no, Herr Vheeler. Vy vaste your talents on such small pursuits?"

"Then, what do you want me for?"

Schroeder brought something out of his lapel pocket and held it up. It was a small plastic disc. Jouno knew it contained a game program.

"My best men have studied this, Herr Vheeler, and none of them could decipher the strange language you put in my new game."

Jouno crossed his arms, smirking. "So that's it."

Jouno had test-played a few games while there to interview for the job, and one had malfunctioned. Jouno had jumped in and fixed it when he became annoyed with the technician's slowness.

"The code I typed in is a language called eHawk. None of your techies know it because I invented it."

Schroeder's eyes widened, his lips curling into a smile.

"You want me to program games for you, don't you?"

"You'll have a very bright future with Schroeder Corp, Herr Vheeler. You'd be a fool to say no."

Jouno closed his eyes. "Well, what I say depends..."

"On vat?"

He opened his eyes, his smile widening. "It depends on how much you'll pay me."

* * *

Bakura pushed the cleaned plate away and stood from the dinner table. 

"I'm going out", he said, mustering his trademark bravado.

Ryou didn't look up from his meal. "That's fine."

Bakura watched him eat, disappointed that he'd not tried to make Bakura stay. It was a completely nonsensical feeling; the truth was, he wanted to get away from Ryou for awhile. If Ryou had tried to stop him, an argument would've ensued and escalated, and Bakura had not yet healed from the previous fight.

After he was sure Ryou was done talking, he turned and walked away nice and slow, giving Ryou every chance. Ryou didn't take it.

His footsteps were small and slow, accentuated with a slight limp.

The cab was already waiting outside.

Bakura would not admit it, but he felt excited by the prospect of seeing Malik and Mariku again. He'd always treated the Egyptian bishies like trash stuck to the sole of his shoe, but they'd turned out to be great friends. He wouldn't admit that, either.

Leaning back in the cab, he let his eyes drift closed and was instantly lost in thoughts of lavender eyes and bronze skin, and kissing two pairs of Egyptian lips.

Opening his eyes, he sat up, frowning. Although he and Ryou were not romantically involved (and Ryou had made it clear he had no wish for any such thing), Bakura still felt as if he were about to cheat on Ryou by seeing Malik.

_But I need him... I need to see a friendly face for a change. _

* * *

Jouno could not remember where he'd heard or read it-- a movie, or a Stephen King novel, maybe. Someone had once compared mentally ill people to cancer patients-- they had good days and bad days. 

He unlocked his apartment and it was stark black inside, but it didn't bother him a bit. He strode in and flipped on the lights, tossing his manila envelope on the counter on his way to the couch, where he sat and removed his shoes and socks.

In his front coat pocket was a check for twenty thousand dollars, incentive from Schroeder. Jouno was now Schroeder Corp's new star employee.

Turning on the stereo, he cranked up Metallica's _Unforgiven_.

_How apt._

He leaned back, closed his eyes, and conjured up a mental image of Kaiba's piercing blue eyes as he undid his jeans and began to masturbate, something he'd not been comfortable doing at the hospital.

_Kaiba... You think you're the genius at games, the untouchable intellect. You don't know what I'm capable of-- you never tried to find out. And by the time you get your head out of the clouds, it'll be too late. I'll bury you and your precious Kaiba Corp._

Smiling and shuddering in delight, he came to his fantasy of destroying Kaiba.


	6. Holier than Thou

* * *

It was a hot night in Tokyo's club district. Although the sidewalk was fifteen feet wide, Bakura had trouble weaving his way through the crowd. He pushed past rich kids using their helios and crickets, and clownishly adorned club kids, all waiting to get into ZeppTokyo Clubhouse. His mouth was dry, his throat tight, but it was not the heat, the crowd, or the noise. It was that he'd just caught sight of two Egyptian bishies.

Malik and Mariku ran right up to him, shoving strangers aside hard enough to knock them on their asses. "Bakura! Hey!"

For a second, Bakura thought Malik was going to pounce and wrap him in a big bear hug, and recoiled in anticipation of wakening all the bruises on his body. This sudden motion sent brief ripples of pain throughout his bruised areas, and he shuddered inwardly.

However, the two Egyptians stopped before him, beaming. _Travel must've been good for them_, thought Bakura.

"It's been so long!" said Malik. "I've missed you quite a bit, Bakura."

Mariku winked at Bakura, smiling his craggy-toothed smile. "How have things been in our absence?"

Bakura shrugged.

"Hey", said Malik, "N.G. should be onstage in, like, an hour or so. We got you a ticket."

Bakura blinked at him for a few long seconds, his brow creased.

"You're welcome", Malik said cheerily.

* * *

Jouno was walking home with a spring in his step, humming a cheery tune. He'd gone to the hautiest restaurant in the city and treated himself to sushi, at a grand table in a decadent dining hall filled with pop icons. He couldn't believe how good it felt to not have to check your wallet and count all your change before deciding what to order. He'd also tipped everyone very generously, which made them all alot friendlier. Smiles all around tonight. 

_I understand now why people chase wealth. I guess I'll really have to work it if I wanna keep this job. _

He would be starting his new job the next day, so now, he needed to go home and rest up.

_But I wish I was not going alone._

He thought of hiring a prostitute, but with thoughts of prostitutes came concerns about catching disease. Even if he wore a condom, he could still get crabs or lice.

"Yecch."

Besides, he wasn't in the mood for a woman. He was bisexual, and tonight he wished he could dominate a man.

_How cool would that be... to throw a hot guy down and ram it in so hard and fast, make him scream like a little bitch...!_

He became aroused. Seeing as how he was walking down a busy sidewalk in Domino City's ritziest district, the timing could not have been worse.

"Ooh..." he gasped softly, walking slower now.

He found a bench and sat down. He leaned back and rested his doggy bag on his lap so no one would see.

A small, sweet voice: "Joey!"

He looked up, thinking that it sounded like Serenity. When he saw who it actually was, his mouth fell open and sweat popped out all over his face.

A small, fresh face with a big smile, a mop of shaggy dark hair, and two bright eyes the color of smoke.

"What in the world are you doing here, Mokuba?"

"Big Brother is having a business dinner at this restaurant. I got bored, so I thought I'd take a walk."

Jouno looked closer at the crowd and saw that they were not casual passers-by, but high society types decked out in tuxedos and cocktail dresses waiting to get into the restaurant.

"Man, Joey, I never thought I'd run into you in this part of town, of all places." He chuckled, then sweatdropped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."

"It's okay, Mokie, don't worry about it."

He hopped up onto the bench, seating himself right next to Jouno. He smiled at the blonde, making him sweatdrop.

"Uh... What is it, Mokuba?" He jolted when he heard a _beep_.

"Oh", said Mokuba, "that's me." He brought a walkie-talkie phone out of his coat pocket.

Kaiba's voice: "This is going to take longer than I thought, Mokie. Go ahead and take the Rolls home."

"Okay, Seto."

Mokuba smiled at Joey. "Why don't you come with me, Joey?"

Jouno twitched. _Me... and him... alone in that opulent, romantic mansion setting..._

"... Joey? Are you alright?"

"Uh..."

"Come on, Joey, I'll let you play the new game Big Brother's working on."

"New game?" _Kaiba Corp industrial secrets?_

He stood up, his problem gone. "Sweet. Let's go."

* * *

After the concert, Malik and Mariku took Bakura backstage to meet the band. 

If Ryou or the Pharaoh had happened to see Bakura that night, they would've been shocked to see the smile on his face, and hear him laughing a joyous (if somewhat pained) laugh. Though they weren't around, Malik and Mariku were shocked enough for them.

When the two Egyptians invited Bakura to accompany them to their house for a nightcap, he said yes.

Malik was the one to unlock the door and go in first.

"Whoo! Home sweet home! I actually missed this place."

"Hurry up," growled Mariku, "turn on the air conditioning. It's boiling in here."

"Hey, Bakura, what do you want to drink?"

"Anything's fine. I don't really care."

Bakura and Mariku took the bags upstairs.

Mariku led Bakura into the master bedroom. "Just put'em down here," he said, plopping the suitcases next to the dresser.

He stood straighter, stretching his back, then smirked at Bakura. "You missed us, didn't you?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.

"How's your hikari? Still a whiny little pain in the ass?"

"He's..." Bakura glanced off to the side.

His first thought had been to tell Mariku that Ryou had left town and returned different. He wanted to indulge the details of Ryou's abuse, and talk about what a horrible bitch unrequited love could be. He shook his head. _He'd just laugh at me._

When Bakura looked up, he was gone. From the bathroom he heard the water running.

Mariku turned off the light and came out, gazing at Bakura with a lusty smile on his face.

Bakura's face grew warm and his pulse sped up. "It's getting late. I think I should leave."

"Why don't you spend the night with us?" He cast a look to the side, and Bakura followed his gaze, seeing the bed.

He suddenly felt Mariku's hot breath against his earlobe: "See? There's room enough for all three of us."

Bakura's eyes saucered and he ran, hearing Mariku laugh after him.

He was so distracted that he stumbled and almost fell down the stairs.

Bakura reached the bottom just as Malik was walking up, drink in hand.

"Something wrong?"

"No. I just need to get home now."

"But you haven't had your drink. Here." He held it up to Bakura's nose, and he smelled how sweet it was.

After a couple of seconds, he looked up and noticed that Malik was watching him intently. Gazing into lavender depths, Bakura became transfixed.

Malik's voice was almost a whisper: "I missed you, Bakura."

He lowered the glass and set it on the lamp table nearby. He stepped towards Bakura, his gaze set on the thief's lips. Bakura did not back away.

Their lips met with soft gasps, and their arms went around each others' bodies, hands grasping each other for the comfort found there.

Bakura closed his eyes, feeling Malik's tongue against his, Malik's hands sliding up his back, Malik's fingers raking through his snowy hair.

Malik's fingernails grazed the still-healing stitches on Bakura's scalp. Bakura moaned in pain, breaking the kiss and pulling away.

Malik was staring at Bakura's head. "What was that?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with."

"Let me see."

Bakura stepped back, pushing Malik's inquiring hand away. "No. I'm fine, stop."

"But you're hurt--"

"I said _fuck off!"_ He turned on his heel and ran out the front door.

* * *

"Do you want some soda or anything?" 

"Nah, I'm fine. Let's see that new game."

Mokuba led Jouno to a small lab on the Kaiba estate grounds.

"Hey, is it anything like that game we played that time Kaiba was stuck in the virtual world?"

"Actually, this is an improved version of that game."

Jouno looked around at all the devices, seeing them in a new way. Instead of a mess, he saw the meaning behind almost every screw, wire, and button. Those parts he did not know, he wished to know.

_This really is a grand idea. I've gotta outdo it somehow, make something more fantastic. Shouldn't be hard, considering that hackneyed medieval heroes plot._

"Here we are."

Jouno looked up at Mokuba, who was presenting him with a VR helmet.

"You can play first, Joey. I'll stay out here and moniter you."

He laid down in the pod and put the helmet on, pulling the visor down over his eyes.

"Since you don't have your cards here, the game will let you create a new deck..."

"Thanks, but don't tell me any more. I want to intuit the workings of the program."

Mokuba's brows lifted, as he was surprised at Jouno's cool, intelligent tone. "Oh. Okay."

* * *

"Wow, Joey, you really kicked that game's butt!" 

Jouno climbed out of the pod, tossing the VR helmet into Mokuba's waiting hands.

"Thanks. Are you gonna play it now?"

"Nah, I'd just get creamed in, like, five minutes. Seto is the real gamer, I'm just along for the ride..."

Jouno gazed down at Mokuba's smiling face, those eyes that so reminded him of Seto, and a blanket of sexual tension fell over him again.

_He really is a cutie... How is it that I didn't notice before now?_

"Joey? Are you listening?"

He wasn't. "Huh? Sorry, what?"

"Are you sleepy?"

He realized at Mokuba's words just how droopy his eyelids had become. "Mmmhh..." He yawned. "I better call a cab."

A small hand grabbed Joey's arm. He looked down into smoky eyes.

"It's late and Seto hasn't gotten back yet. Why don't you sleep over, Joey?"

Jouno smirked. _It's almost as if he's _trying_ to seduce me, in his own clumsy pre-pubescent way._

"Sure. Why don't we snuggle up and watch a movie or something?"

He was well aware of the schemes growing in a secret corner of his mind; he knew Seto would be enraged if he ever found out. But he did not care, and he did not want to care.

* * *

_So sweet, this small, warm body..._ Jouno breathed deep and smelled Mokuba's shampoo. 

The two were under a thick down comforter in the media room, which had a five-foot-tall TV. They were watching _Finding Nemo_, and the Dad-fish whose name Jouno could not recall had just met Dory.

Mokuba was sitting very still, and his breathing was slow and even. Jouno wondered if the boy was asleep, but could not see past his hair. It didn't matter. He was happy where he was.

Although he'd been having sexual dreams and thoughts about the younger Kaiba brother for months, now that they were actually together, it was not the way Jouno had feared it would be. He did not turn into an uncontrollable monster and pounce on Mokuba. It felt good just to hold Mokie in his arms, feel the warmth of his body... Jouno's eyes were drifting shut as Dad-fish chased Dory across the bottom of the sea...

He woke as the soothing warmth of Mokuba's small body was taken away. Looking up, he saw an unmistakable silhouette over him, holding Mokuba's sleeping form in his arms. Without a word, Seto carried Mokuba away, presumably to put him to bed. Jouno let his eyes ease shut again, feeling very sleepy and wishing to catch just a little bit more before Seto returned.

"Wake up."

He was roughly pulled out of his rest by two large hands gripping his upper arms painfully and dragging him to his feet. Forcing his eyes open, he found himself looking into angry cerulean eyes.

"Wha...?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Wheeler? Who the hell gave you the right?"

His tone woke Jouno fully. "What's the problem? Mokuba didn't wanna be alone, so-- _unnh!"_

Seto had shoved him aside, and since he was still groggy, he'd not had the presence of mind to keep his footing. He landed on his ass, hitting the cold marble floor hard.

He was then whisked to the front door and dropped onto the porch like a bag of trash. He could only give Seto a questioning gaze.

"Don't you dare try to play innocent. You stay away from my baby brother." With those words, he slammed the door.

Jouno blinked at the door for a few long seconds, letting Seto's words sink in.

_You stay away from my baby brother._

_Does he... Does he know? But how...? _

_I'm your doctor, Mr. Wheeler. Everything you tell me is confidential._

_Confidential, yeah, but who signs your paychecks?_

Jouno's confusion was instantly replaced with rage, more powerful than any he could remember ever feeling before. It was a living thing growing in the pit of his stomach.

"You FUCKING _BITCH!"_

* * *

Bakura snuck into his and Ryou's bed at about 3am. He slid between the sheets without making a sound and lay facing his hikari, watching him sleep. 

He felt guilty now, for going off with Malik and Mariku, who he knew Ryou disliked. He felt like he'd cheated on his one true love.

He turned onto his back and rested one forearm on his forehead, staring at the ceiling.

_That doesn't make any sense. Ryou and I are not lovers. Never were, never will be. Malik loves me, although I can't imagine why he would. _

He looked at Ryou again to make sure he was still sleeping.

_I wish you would love me, Ryou. I wish you would kiss me the way Malik did tonight._

* * *

"Where did you go last night?" 

Bakura looked up at Ryou with wide eyes, his mouth still full of Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs cereal. The kitchen was filled with bright morning light, and Ryou was standing over him, arms crossed.

Ryou's eyes had a dull, stony anger glinting in their chocolatey depths. Bakura knew it was time. Ryou had more tension to "work out" on him.

He hurriedly chewed what he had in his mouth and gulped it down. "I went to-- I went for a walk."

"'Til 3 am? Where did you walk to, Nagasaki?"

"Around the park. Downtown, a little."

"Did you do anything special while you were out strolling around?"

"No. I just wandered around for a while."

Ryou held up a slip of paper. Bakura instantly recognized his _N.G._ ticket stub.

"Were you with them?"

_Shit. This is gonna hurt._

"They're garbage. I want you to stay away from them."

_I can't stay away from Malik. He's the only one..._

Bakura gritted his teeth, baring a sneer at his light. "I refuse. You can't order me around."

Ryou swatted Bakura over the head, busting a couple of stitches. "You know how I feel about those tomb-dwelling rodents!"

Bakura chuckled, "Is that all you got? Fuck you."

Ryou shoved Bakura's shoulders, knocking his chair backwards. As he fell, he lifted his head and avoided hitting it on the floor. He felt a sudden pain in his side and knew Ryou had kicked him in the ribs. Crawling, he huddled in the corner as Ryou continued kicking him, all the while bitching him out.

_That's right, Ryou... Pour all your rage into me..._

He whimpered and cried out when the pain became too much. He enjoyed the release it brought him to raise his voice-- it felt almost sexual to him.

After several minutes, the kicking and yelling ended and Ryou loomed over him, sweaty, catching his breath. Bakura looked up at him, unaware of the tears flowing down his face, wondering if that was how Ryou looked after sex.

As his breathing slowed, so did his rage. He knelt before Bakura, head lowered.

"I'm sorry, BakuChan... It's not you... It's them that I hate so much... I just don't want them to corrupt you..."

If not for his pain and how it drained his energy, Bakura would've burst into hysterical laughter.

* * *

Ryou yanked the book out of Bakura's hands and smiled at him. He was absolutely beaming, as if the entire day had never taken place. "Why don't we go out tonight, BakuChan?" 

Bakura frowned at Ryou's smiling face. _I don't wanna go anywhere today. I'm tired and sore._

"Can't we just stay home tonight?"

Ryou was already pulling Bakura's arm, trying to drag him to his feet. "Come on, just for a short time. It'll be alot of fun."

He became irritated at his hikari's childish behavior. His head was throbbing and he would've preferred to climb into bed and fall fast asleep. He knew refusing Ryou's wishes might lead to more pain, but he was too exhausted to care.

"I'm too tired. I don't want you dragging me all over downtown."

Ryou stopped tugging on Bakura's arm and pouted at him, looking childish except for an almost murderous darkness in his eyes. "You went out and had your fun last night. Now that I want to have some fun, you're too tired?"

_Well maybe I'd be up to it if you hadn't kicked my fucking ribs in!_ Bakura bit down hard on those words. He simply could not take another beating right now. He was tired, just so tired...

Ryou stood there, glaring that black, murderous glare for what seemed like two or three full minutes. Then he abruptly turned and walked off in the direction of the front door. Bakura heard him mutter, "Asshole..." then the front door was slammed shut loudly enough to make him jump. Then Ryou was gone.

Bakura sighed, his last bit of energy draining out of him. _Glad you're gone..._

* * *

AN: Hope you enjoyed. Sorry I'm so slow with the updates. Since ffnet's latest update of the website, I can no longer reach this site using my webtv console, so if you'd like me to respond to your reviews, please include your e-mail address. 


	7. Bad Seed

* * *

Walking amongst the crowd, Ryou scanned the faces of the handsome men he passed. It was a brief mental exchange. Ryou would ask them without speaking: _Wanna fuck me?_

They would turn their heads away and keep walking, which meant _No._

Ryou could not find a good time. Everywhere he went, there were ko-gals standing around, looking whorish in their makeup and micro-miniskirts and Fuck-Me pumps. The men were busy drooling all over the ko-gals. This crowd was not for him.

He knew there were plenty of queers at ZeppTokyo Clubhouse, but there was too strong a chance that Malik and Mariku would be there. Ryou wound up wandering the streets, looking for someone but finding no one.

* * *

Dr. Wong's office was on the twelfth floor of a tall building downtown. There were still cars driving past, young people heading to nightclubs and bars, but this particular street was nothing but office buildings which had gone dark, residents all gone home save for one. 

Jouno knew he'd find Paoma Wong at her office, even though it was late. Dr. Wong was _so_ dedicated to her work.

"Bitch."

He went to the bank of mailboxes outside the front door and rang Dr. Wong's doorbell.

After a few seconds, he heard her voice over the intercom: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Doc. I gotta talk to ya real bad."

"Alright, Mr. Wheeler, come up." She buzzed him in.

* * *

Ryou found a poetry reading at a coffeehouse and sat in, hoping to hook up with some cute, willowy femme. He sank into a large velvet couch amongst others in a dim, smoky room strong with the bittersweet scent of skim mocha cafe latte whatever and clove cigarettes. 

He flirted shamelessly with the silver-haired angel seated at the next couch, who had to have been gay(straight guys don't look like that!), but the guy moved. Ryou told himself that the guy must already be taken. He stayed for a few more poems, but soon grew bored and left.

He shuffled down the sidewalk, feeling the intense ache of unfulfilled arousal in his loins.

_Damnit, I wanna fuck! I wanna fuck someone, or be fucked by someone, I need it NOW!_

He found a phone booth and called a cab service.

_Guess I'll just have to masturbate in the bath again. Damnit... What a waste of a night, didn't find a single guy..._

* * *

"Come on in, Mr. Wheeler. Would you like something to drink?" 

"I'm fine." He watched as Paoma locked the door, suppressing a sneer. _You just doomed yourself._

She escorted him to her office, and once he'd layed down the plush leather couch, she sat in her armchair, fresh new legal pad in hand.

"What would you like to discuss, Mr. Wheeler?"

"Something strange happened tonight. I bumped into Mokuba out on the street. We chatted awhile, and he invited me to his house. Seto wasn't there..."

She really came to attention then. "You were alone with him? Did anything happen?"

He sat up and hanged his head, letting his bangs conceal his eyes. He nodded, a very slight motion.

The widow's peak between her eyebrows creased in consternation.

He sighed, "It was just me and him. He was so cute, and innocent... I couldn't help myself."

Paoma's pen was traveling a mile a minute.

"It started with just one little kiss, but things got out of hand, and next thing I knew, we'd had such passionate sex." He stopped and looked at Paoma. "Do you have to report me now?"

"You're both underage, so I'm not sure a crime has been committed. But you might consider telling Seto Kaiba what happened--"

"And why should I do that? I'm sure you'll give him a nice, thorough report."

She frowned, confused. "What?"

Jouno made eye contact, holding her attention as he slowly stood up. "Did you tell him about everything, or just my sick attraction to his baby brother? Does he know I'm in love with him? Just how much did you divulge?"

Through this, Paoma managed to maintain her professional facade, and was even still scribbling in that damn legal pad. "Why do you believe I'm the one who told Kaiba about you?"

Jouno was standing over her now. "No, stop it. Your pseudo-psycho-babble's not gonna work on me anymore. Stop writing."

The pen stopped moving, but the hand held it at ready, hovering over the page. She regarded him attentively.

"I said _stop_!" He knocked the pen and pad out of her hands. She became alarmed, getting to her feet and moving backwards, away from him.

"Calm down, Mr. Wheeler." She held one hand out, her voice still steady. Jouno was sick of the doctor being so under control. He wanted to scare her. He wanted to see what Dr. Paoma Wong looked like freaking out.

"Open my mind, peek in, screw around a little. Is human vulnerability amusing to you? Is that why you became a doctor?"

"I'm here to help you, Mr. Wheeler."

"Ah, Tough Love. Is this the Humiliation stage? I begged you not to tell Kaiba and you gave me that line about doctor-patient confidentiality. Made me feel like I could trust you. But that was all _bullshit_!!"

He lashed out again, this time knocking over and shattering a lamp nearby. Dr. Wong jolted.

"I thought you were a friend. I should've known better. Friends don't get paychecks." He stared down at the broken lamp.

The lamp was made of clay and broke into big, chunky shards with razor-sharp edges that called to Jouno. He picked up one of the larger pieces, gazing at it as if transfixed. He dragged it up his arm-- it tore the skin open and beads of crimson welled up along the line.

"Mr. Wheeler... You are not yourself right now. Please... You need to rest..."

Something truly strange happened then. Jouno's vision unfocused and he could not blink the blurriness away. His myopic gaze set on the doctor, and his mouth stretched out in a sneer. He was overcome with a feeling of disembodiment as he heard himself speak in an uncharacteristic voice, guttural and cold:

"Wonder what you look like under your skin..."

* * *

Bakura was in bed, but not sleeping, and heard the cab drive up. 

Jumping out of bed, he trotted to the window. Looking out, he watched Ryou pay the driver and walk up the path to the house, alone. That was not a surprise-- Ryou was an insatiable slut, but at least he was not crude enough to bring strangers home for his trists. Bakura looked at the clock. It was only 9:47.

_Guess he couldn't find anyone._ Bakura smiled, then got back into bed and lay on his side, pretending to sleep.

He listened as Ryou came in and undressed in the dark, then left the room. Bakura got up and followed him.

Ryou sat down on one of the bathstools, then poured some hot water into his bucket and drenched himself, then soaped up his scrunchie and began to scrub his body clean.

Bakura peeked in through the slightly parted door, wondering if he should say hello. Ryou had a serious look on his face tonight. The sadness in his eyes struck Bakura as lovely and somehow erotic. His longing for his hikari flared up and, whether it was a good idea or not, he decided to talk to his light.

He slowly opened the door and stepped in. "Hello."

Ryou jolted, then grumbled, catching his breath and holding his chest. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry."

"I woke you, didn't I? Sorry..."

"No, it's okay." Bakura hoped Ryou wouldn't notice that he was blushing as he said, "Would you like me to wash your back?"

Ryou frowned. _Son of a bitch. I was planning to masturbate!_

"That's okay. Don't trouble yourself, BakuChan."

"It's not a trouble. I'll go change." He went outside to undress, not noticing Ryou's objections. Ryou sighed. _Great._

Bakura came back in a few seconds' time, small white towel wrapped around his waist. He kneeled behind his light and his hands moved the scrunchie gently over Ryou's porcelain skin.

Ryou's frustration faded as Bakura cleaned his back-- He lowered his head and his eyes drifted shut, his lids heavy, enjoying Bakura's skillful ministrations. He lost consciousness and had a brief but vivid sex dream about Bakura. He gasped and jolted himself awake, startling Bakura.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I just drifted off."

Bakura rinsed him off, and they sat down in the tub together. Much to Bakura's dismay, Ryou sat at the other side, well out of reach.

_Fine, Ryou. Your signal couldn't be any clearer._

Ryou watched Bakura steadily. _I wonder if I'm far away enough to do it without him noticing?_

The water went up to their chins. Ryou's hands rested at his sides below the water. Furtively, his hand moved towards his crotch.

"Ryou?"

His hand quickly retreated. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry I didn't go out with you..."

"No, it's fine. Truth is, there's nothing special out there. I should stay in more often."

Bakura smiled, his expression giving him a boyishly cute allure.

He closed his eyes, sighing, a gentle smile playing on his lips. _Yes, BakuChan... I'm glad you're in my life._

"Ryou. Ryou!"

He looked at his yami, who was now glaring at him. "Hmm?"

"Don't fall asleep in the bath!"

"Don't worry, I won't drown. Besides, you're here to take care of me."

Bakura let himself sink deeper into the water, until his nostrils were just above the water's surface.

The phone rang. Bakura jolted, then glared evilly in the direction of the door. "Do you want me to get it?" he asked, his tone making it very clear that he wanted Ryou to say _no_.

"That's okay," said Ryou. "If it's important, they'll leave a message."

* * *

After the fourth ring, there was a _click_, and Jouno sighed relief. "Ryou's it's me, Joey! Something really fucked up--" 

He stopped as he realized that he'd reached Ryou's voice mail: _"This is Ryou Bakura, if you have a message for me, my father, or my yami, please leave it after the beep. Thank you." --beep._

"Fuck," he muttered, his mouth dry. "Fuck, fuck fuck. He must be asleep. Ryou, I need to talk to you real bad, this is like, life-and-death stuff, LITERALLY! Please call me ASAFP!"

He hung the phone up roughly, then fell to a squat beside the booth, burying his face in his hands. As soon as he did, he got the stench of blood up his nostrils, and pulled them back, utterly repulsed.

The sound of approaching sirens soon swelled and filled the streets. Jouno forced himself to stand and slink away down an alley, mentally exhausted. His feet carried him in the general direction of his apartment building.

He shuffled his feet, arms wrapped around his midsection, shivering in spite of the summer heat.

_I'll try to reach Ryou again in the morning. Maybe I can ask him to lunch... Is school still in session for the smart kids? Dunno. Hardly smart... and I still have to go start my new job tomorrow. Wouldn't it be funny if the cops came and arrested me on my first day. _

Sighing, he tried to walk a little faster, but could find no more reserves of energy within. His anger and fear had drained him completely.

_I wish I could wake up in my bed and find that this has all been some bizarre nightmare. Wish I could turn back time and stop any of this from happening. But how far back would I have to go? For all I know, this could go back to Ancient Egypt. I don't want it to be true, but it is, and I have no way of knowing how long it's been going on. Somehow, like Yugi, Malik, and Ryou, I've got a dark side... I've got a yami. _

* * *


	8. Harvester of Sorrow

KT: Well, I'm finally back. Sorry it took so long!

-->-->-->---

**Eight**

**Harvester of Sorrow**

-->-->-->--- 

* * *

* * *

A small gasp was lost in the hum of the air conditioner.

Bakura blinked in the darkness, hoping Ryou had not heard. He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was 3:42. He'd been at it for half an hour now.

Curled up on his side, facing away from his light, bundled in the thick down comforter, the Thief King closed his eyes and stroked again. His fingers traveled down his length as slowly as droplets of honey, to the head. Bakura let out a slow, shaky sigh.

_It feels so good... Please, Ryou, don't wake up..._

He didn't think he'd be able to deal with the humiliation if Ryou were to ever catch him. He did it slowly, struggling to keep quiet.

He thought often about Malik and Mariku, sometimes both of them at once. But he always wound up thinking about Ryou as he neared his finish.

He imagined laying his body over Ryou's-- pressing his naked flesh against his hikari's body, every single inch, with legs intertwined. He imagined Ryou smiling up at him, putting his arms around him, kissing him.

_Those lips, hot and soft, pressing against mine... _

He wrapped his palm around his shaft and imagined that it was Ryou's warmth surrounding him. He sighed lustily.

_Here it comes... I'm coming...!_

His body went rigid and he breathed in soft gasps as it came over him and erupted into his hand, hot and sticky.

"Ryou..." He quickly cursed himself for speaking aloud.

He lay still for a few seconds, waiting to see if Ryou would stir. He didn't, so Bakura cleaned himself with a tissue and went to sleep. It was almost four am.

* * *

As consciousness slowly came he became aware of pain and coldness, both unpleasant, but neither so bad that he felt sufficient motivation to open his eyes or move. He was not laying in his bed, nor was he strapped to a cot at the mental hospital or in a prison cell, where he thought he might wake.

He was slouching against icy tile, being rained on. He frowned, turning his face away from the spray, not able to avoid it. He wished for sleep to take him again.

_BAM-BAM-BAM_

A loud, deep male voice: "Joseph Wheeler! Mr. Joseph Wheeler!"

_Holy Fuck, it's the cops. Guess they followed the trail of Wong's blood._

He got the mental image of an old tyme copper in a blue uniform with gold buttons all down the front of his shirt, following a blood trail straight to the bathroom, like a grisly reversion of _Hansel and Gretal_.

He heard the song playing in his head-- _Oh, Mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law..._

_BAMBAMBAM_

Jouno clutched his head. His voice was a hoarse grumble: "Fuck! Just break the fucking door down!"

After what seemed like five or ten minutes, whoever was at the door was still knocking. They had not broken the door down, so they definitely weren't the police. So who was it?

Jouno finally reluctantly opened his eyes. He was sitting in his shower stall, fully clothed, leaning against the wall in the shower's icy spray. He had no idea how long he'd been like that, but his fingers were all pruny, so it had been a considerable amount of time.

Jumping up, he threw his bathrobe on over his saturated clothes and, scrutinizing himself in the mirror, felt that he could pass for-- well, no, not normal, but he didn't think he looked like a murderer.

Swinging the front door open, he was relieved to see one of Schroeder's black-suit-guys standing there with red knuckles.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in a casual tone, amazed at how normal he was able to make himself sound.

"Herr Schroeder sent me to pick you up, Sir. It would be unacceptable for you to be late on your first day of work."

Walking to the windows, he looked down and saw a sleek black Rolls Royce waiting out front. He smirked.

_... And I haven't even clocked in yet. This should be good._

* * *

Ryou straightened his collar, evaluating his reflection in the dresser mirror. He was not in the best of spirits, and the main contribution was that he'd not had a chance to relieve himself. Living with Bakura was like having a nosy baby brother, or a pet.

_He follows me around all fucking day like a puppy. No matter what time I wake, he wakes too, and even insists on washing up at the same time! Hasn't he ever heard of privacy?_

He immediately sighed, the anger leaving him. _He doesn't mean to be a bother. I should be glad someone wants to be near me. I just wish it was someone I could fuck. _

* * *

Bakura observed Ryou, hoping his gaze wasn't so intent as to draw his light's attention. He didn't want to make Ryou uncomfortable, but he could not help but admire the beautiful countenance of his precious light.

Ryou was straightening his collar, looking at himself in the mirror. Bakura was sitting in a chair next to the dresser. Bakura wished Ryou would not go to school. It was a waste of time as far as he was concerned, and he sometimes felt like perhaps Ryou used those optional extra classes as a means of getting away.

_Getting away from me every chance you get. But why, Precious Light? I love you so much... Why do you pull away?_

Ryou looked his way and jolted. "BakuChan!"

He sighed. "I forgot you were sitting there. You're so quiet, like a cat."

Bakura took the comparison as a compliment. The corners of his mouth perked.

* * *

Ryou waited until he was on the bus to check his messages, so he could listen without Bakura staring him down from some corner of the room. He stood halfway down the aisle, right hand gripping the nearest rail, left hand dialing up his message box on his cellphone.

It wasn't a blackberry or a sidekick or any of those fancy newer toys, it was just a basic cellphone. Ryou received a monthly allowance, most of which was meant for household expenses and utilities. Ryou hoarded the rest for outings to clubs and stays at love hotels. It was all that kept him sane, so he was happy to forego other luxuries.

He stood swaying as the bus whirred down the street, leaving the residential area for a more crowded commercial street.

_"You have one message."_

_Dad?_

Ryou snorted. _I don't know why the hell I'm always hoping it's him. When it finally is him, we never have anything to talk about. _

_"10:32 pm."_

_"Fuck...! Fuck, fuck fuck. He must be asleep. Ryou, I need to talk to you real bad, this is like, life-and-death stuff, LITERALLY! Please call me ASAFP!"_

_"Message ended."_

Ryou saved it and put the phone away. He frowned past the other people crammed into the bus, at the shops gliding past the windows.

_Why would he call me instead of Yugi or Honda?_

The bus halted in front of the school. Ryou squeezed past frowning, unyielding salarymen and stepped out onto the sidewalk. He looked up at the school building for a couple of seconds before deciding he didn't want to attend class today.

Sighing, he brought his phone back out and dialed.

* * *

He'd considered wearing a suit and tie, but winced at the thought of dressing like that corporate stooge Kaiba. He put on some jeans and a t-shirt which read _I'm not homophobic..._ on the front, and _but my boyfriend is_ on the back.

The limousine had a TV and a fridge. The TV was not one of those lousy 5-inch screen deals with a shitty picture, it was a 20-inch flat screen with satellite. Jouno put on the news and opened the fridge-- it was stocked with Red Bull, V-8, and Starbucks Frapaccinos. He selected a frosty Red Bull.

Looking past the rim of the can, he saw a familiar image on the screen.

_"This is Keiko Reiko Hanayamaguchi, outside the Black Arrow office building in downtown Domino City. This is the site of last night's brutal attack on internationally renowned psychologist, Dr. Paoma Wong."_

Jouno paused mid-sip, wondering if they'd show the smears of blood all over the walls.

_They said attack, not murder..._

"Guess she survived..."

He was overcome with the sensation that he would burst into tears.

Brow furrowed, eyes wide and glittering with unshed tears, he saw Paoma vividly in his mind-- gashes carved in her skin, blood streaming down her face.

The tears came and he shuddered, holding back sobs so the driver wouldn't hear.

_Stop crying, you fucking baby. It can't be undone. She betrayed you, the worst sin possible. She deserved it._

Covering his eyes, he let more tears come.

_You're right, you're absolutely right. Why the hell should I feel bad when she brought it on herself? Silly bitch, who decides to work with crazy people for a living, anyway?_

He sniffled and wiped his eyes. _It's your own fault, Paoma. You shouldn't have told Kaiba my secrets._

* * *

_"Hey, this is Jouno Wheeler and I'm not at home right now, so leave a message after the beep."_

_BEEP_

Ryou frowned. _What the fuck am I supposed to do now? You called me, Asshole._

"Joseph, this is Ryou. I got your-- message. If you need any help, or if you just want to talk, um, just call me back..."

_Oh, great, a game of phone tag. Fuck that._

"I'll be at Burger World for lunch at around 1 today. You can meet me there if you want. Bai-bai."

He hung up and tucked the cellphone in his jeans pocket. He hated his ultra-polite phone voice, and he couldn't help but kick himself a little for obliging himself to eat at that slop joint, Burger World.

_Great, now I have to have lunch there. Maybe I'll just pretend we missed each other..._

* * *

He had alot of trouble explaining his ideas to Schroeder. His words tumbled out too fast and stumbled all over each other. Schroeder smiled through it, but had a sweatdrop at his temple.

Finally he presented Jouno with a keyboard and said, "Vy don't you simply give us a demonstration, Herr Vheeler?"

The laptop was connected to a larger system that took up an entire wall. When Jouno pressed a key, the room darkened and a three-by-five-foot screen lit up, displaying the Schroeder Corp. logo.

Schroeder had to show Jouno how to initiate the program. By this point, Jouno was beet-red. He felt like such an idiot.

Once the program was online, he started typing and something amazing happened. As his fingers danced along almost of their own volition, Jouno watched the code appear on the screen, forming his thoughts like no spoken words could. He soon had a simple skeletal version of his game idea set up.

Schroeder was delighted. "I knew I vas right to hire you, Herr Vheeler."

* * *

He didn't want to go home-- he didn't want to see Bakura right now. It was 12:30. Ryou had spent the past few hours walking around downtown Domino. The sun was hanging in the middle of the vivid summer sky. Ryou could feel a sheen of sweat covering his entire body.

His feet were carrying him in the direction of Burger World. He didn't know where else to go.

Head lowered, he still couldn't help but squint his eyes against the sunlight. His walking sped up-- he was eager to get into some air conditioning.

As he was crossing the street, he got hit by a car.

It was a white car driven by a girl.

As he was crossing, he looked up and they made eye contact. But instead of slowing down so he could get past, she sped up. She didn't hit him all that hard-- she just knocked him on his ass. He got to his feet and stared the car down as it passed, dimly aware that about six people were standing on the sidewalk, watching the whole thing. The car stopped, and she got out.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, are you alright?"

She was completely average looking, 20-25 years old, brown hair, pale skin. Ryou knew right away, she had not meant any harm. The silly bitch had simply confused the brakes and accelerator.

She walked up to him, clutching her cell phone, still apologizing.

Ryou had never struck a woman before. He swung his open hand in a huge arc and caught the entire side of her face, making a huge _SMACK_. It felt good-- downright therapeutic. She pivoted to the side and fell against her car.

"Stupid _fucking BITCH!"_

He turned and glared each bystander in the face as he strode away.

* * *

In sixth grade, there'd been this experiment in science class. By hanging a piece of string in a glass of sugar water, they'd made rock candy. Jouno could still recall his fascination as he'd watched the crystals grow. He'd forgotten how good it could feel to create something, but he was rediscovering that feeling now.

Adding more codes to the skeletal structure, watching it grow, was just like making rock candy. He'd meant it to be a simple demo for Schroeder, but now he could tell it was a keeper.

A little after 3 pm, Jouno was pulled out of his work by the warmth of a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into Schroeder's smiling face.

His boss presented him with a small, embossed envelope.

"This veekend, at Maximillion Pegasus's mansion. All the biggest names in the gaming industry vill be there."

"A party?" He felt anxiety heating his face.

Schroeder's eyebrows lifted. "You don't strike me as the bashful type, Herr Vheeler."

He turned his chair to face him. "Well, I've only been working here for one day. I don't think I've earned the right..."

"Nonsense! I've seen your genius. I can't vait to introduce you to Pegasus!"

Jouno sweatdropped. _Actually, we've met..._

"But I'm not good at that sort of thing. I'm not really a classy type..."

"Ah!" He pulled a small card out of his lapel. "Finest tailor in Japan. He makes all my suits."

Jouno got a quick mental image of himself standing by Schroeder, a proud doppelganger, and fought the urge to gag.

"Now, vhy don't you save your progress and go home."

"Huh? But it's only three--"

"Ve don't vant you to burn out on your first day. I'll see you tomorrow, say, 10 am?"

"Oh. Okay." _Man, this job is awesome._

* * *

Ryou hid in a booth towards the back. He didn't have a book to read or any music to listen to. There was piped-in music playing, but Ryou didn't like it very much. All he did was sit there, chin in hand, hating his life for no particular reason. 

He wasn't waiting for Jouno, really. He didn't look up every time someone entered, and he didn't scan the sidewalk out front for his mop of blonde hair. Besides, it was already past three. Pretty sure bet he wasn't gonna show.

He tried not to feel the pang of rejection, but it was undeniable.

He couldn't stop thinking about Yugi-tachi. He imagined them all-- Yugi, Yami, Anzu, Honda, Jouno-- sitting here with him, smiling and laughing together. That had never happened, but the image was strong in his mind, almost like a wish.

He felt stinging behind his eyes.

_Oh, no!_ He willed the tears away and the stinging sensation faded.

_That was weird._ He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually wept.

He checked the time. It was 3:25.

_School's over. Better go home before Bakura starts worrying. _

He stood and gathered his schoolbag, cursing Jouno for making him waste his day.

Before he could take a step towards the exit, the double doors were shoved inward-- if anyone had been standing there, they would've gotten their face smashed in. In burst Jouno Wheeler, looking flustered and heaving for breath.

Ryou stood dumbly as Jouno's gaze swept the room, finally landing on him.

"Ryou!" He bounded down the aisle and stood before him, head low.

_Ah, he's bowing in apology._

"I didn't check my messages 'til, like, fifteen minutes ago. I'm so sorry about this!"

A grin slowly appeared on Ryou's face. "Well, Joseph, I hope you'll make it up to me."

* * *

* * *

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**8  
harvester of sorrow  
finish **  
-->-->-->---  



	9. Wherever I May Roam

Author's Note: It's been unbelievably long since I updated any of my stories. I was in college, and for a while I was completely focused on my courses. A couple of months ago I graduated with honors-- yay me! Writing this chapter was such a pleasure for me, and I hope you will like it.

ps this story features a few guests from _Gravitation_!

**+*+*+*+**

**Chapter 9: Whever I May Roam**

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* * *

The first thing Ryou noticed upon entering Jouno's apartment was the shopping bags.

They were stacked on the kitchen counter, boxes and garments inside.

_Did he win the lottery?_

Jouno noticed Ryou's questioning look and shrugged, "Got a new job."

"It must pay well."

"Yeah, it's a huge opportunity."

Ryou felt a pang of jealousy for Jouno's good fortune. "What sort of job is it?"

Jouno watched for Ryou's reaction. "Game programmer."

Instead of looking overly shocked or laughing it off, Ryou simply smiled and said, "I should've known it would involve games. Congratulations, Joseph."

"Thanks. Here, let me take those." He took the paper sacks of takeout food from Ryou and set them on the counter, getting plates out of the cupboard to transfer the food to. "Why don't you go have a seat. Turn on the TV, if you want."

Jouno's apartment was contradicting itself. Here was the same old junky, beat-up couch with the hideous upholstery and the smushed cushions, there on the wall was a flat-screen TV with a Wii hooked up to it. Here on the floor were ratty old thrift-shop T-shirts and jeans, there on the counter were bags from designer clothing stores.

"So, why did you call me, Joey?"

"… You know what, why don't we talk about it after we've had dinner and relaxed for a bit—oh, you didn't have plans for later, didja? I mean, if ya did, it's no problem. I'm just really hungry right now, and I thought you might be too."

Ryou could tell Jouno was uncomfortable and not quite ready to talk about things yet. "Where is your phone? I'd like to call Bakura and let him know where I'll be."

* * *

"Mushi mushi."

"BakuChan, it's me. I'm staying with a friend tonight, so you'll have to get your own dinner."

"When are you coming home?"

"I'm not sure. I'm helping out with something important. I don't know how long it will take."

Bakura's facial muscles drooped as his expression changed to one of disappointment and resignation. "Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Thanks for understanding, BakuChan. In the meantime, please clean something around the house, okay?"

Bakura cringed. _I hate when he says that! Clean WHAT, Asshole?! I've got better things to do than find stuff to clean!_

"Okay. Goodbye."

"Bai, BakuChan." _Click. _Bakura hung up the ugly green phone and went back to the living room, where his guest was sitting on the couch.

"Ryou's not coming home tonight."

"That's okay", said Sakuma San, who was a little bit occupied with playing with his pink stuffed bunny, Kumagoro. "I'll just invite him some other time. Besides, you're the one I'm here for."

Ryuichi Sakuma hopped to his feet, making Kumagoro fly around Bakura.

"BakuChan's all sparkly! I wanna see the sparkle!"

Ryuichi Sakuma, the lead singer for N.G.-- Bakura found him very interesting. Being around someone with such a genuine, childlike demeanor made Bakura want to smile. Of course, he fought that urge.

"Let's sparkle together, Bakura. You and me."

* * *

They ate slowly, speaking at an equally leisurely pace.

"When did you know, Ryou?"

"Know what, Joseph?"

"About Bakura. When did you become aware that you were not alone in your own body? What was it like?"

Ryou's fork paused mid-air as he gazed off. "I don't remember it very well. He frightened me… I blacked out at times…"

Jouno tried to recall if he'd been blacking out. _I don't think I have… but how can I be sure of something like that?_

"Joey?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay? Are you ready to tell me what's going on?"

Joey swallowed and looked down at his food. Most of it was still there, but he didn't have much of an appetite anymore. He put his fork down.

"You're done already? I'll stop eating, too, then."

"No, go ahead and eat. Don't stop on my account."

"It's fine, I wasn't very hungry. May I use your bathroom?"

"Go ahead." They rose at the same time. Ryou started in the direction of the bathroom, and Jouno gathered up the food. "I'll stick this stuff in the fridge."

Ryou went and took a leak, and checked himself out in the mirror while he washed his hands. He looked a bit ruffled—a few hairs out of place, some fatigue showing in the eyes… but still sexy.

Smacking his lips, his gaze fell to Jouno's toothbrush.

_Fuck it, we're going to be exchanging body fluids soon enough. _

* * *

Ryuichi took Bakura to NG Records to sit in on a session. Nittle Grasper was recording a new single.

Sakuma San asked Bakura to help out by singing a little backup. Although Bakura had sung in front of Ryuichi and his friends before, he was still a little embarrassed. He tried to overcome that feeling, since he wanted to please Ryu, who had always been so cool to him.

After they recorded the song, Ryuichi hooked his arm around Bakura and laughed with him in a big, goofy way.

"Hey Bakura, why don't you sing a song now?"

"Huh!?"

"Sure, why not? Come on, get all sparkly!"

He looked around the room—besides the other members of Nittle Grasper, there were a couple of big suit types, plus Fujisaki and Hiro from the band Bad Luck. These were some of the biggest musicians in all of Japan, Ryuichi being the biggest of all. And he was asking Bakura to sing???

"I'll play accompaniment, Mr. Bakura." Fujisaki got behind one of the keyboards, flexing his fingers. "What song are you going to sing?"

"He likes Foo Fighters, right?" said Hiro. "How about _the Best of You_?"

Bakura shook his head. "I don't…" He was stopped by a warm hand over his heart. Looking up, he met Ryuichi's gaze, which had changed into his intense onstage persona.

"Don't worry about how it sounds. Just make sure your voice is true. Here…" He pressed lightly on Bakura's chest. "… This is where the sparkle comes from."

Bakura didn't understand why Ryou wanted to hear him sing at first, but he looked at the expressions of those around him and felt something nice, like warmth, friendliness. Something was familiar. Bakura felt like he was close to… something…

"Do you know _Everlong_?"

Fujisaki nodded and started playing. Bakura took a few deep breaths…

"_Hello… I've waited here for you… Everlong…"_

He lost himself in the simple pleasure of singing, something he used to do only when no one was around. He sang with his eyes closed, so he didn't notice how intently Ryuichi and Tohma Seguchi were watching him. Ryuichi sidled over beside Tohma and said, "I'm right, aren't I?"

Tohma didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth perked.

After the song was done, Ryu gave Kumagoro a big hug. "BakuChan knows how to sparkle and shine!"

* * *

They curled up on opposite sides of the couch, facing each other. Jouno didn't know how to start.

"It's okay, Joseph. There's not much that can surprise me after Bakura and the Desert Rats."

"Do you hate Bakura?"

"I used to, I guess. He took big chunks of my life and made it impossible for me to make any friends…" _It's still impossible…_

Ryou remembered for a moment the simple pleasure of his hands smashing into Bakura's face and body. A small grin appeared on his lips. "However, we slowly became friends. Nowadays we're like brothers."

"So it's possible to coexist with your other self?"

"Of course. Bakura and I are no different from Yugi and the Pharaoh."

"Or Malik and Mariku."

Ryou snorted. "True."

"So having a yami isn't so bad, right?"

"Is that it, Joey? You think you have a yami?"

Jouno nodded. "I've done some pretty terrible stuff. I've lost control, and I been having the most horrible nightmares. I'm changin'—my personality, I mean. I find myself interested in and good at things I've never given a damn about, like computer programming and literature. I enjoy those things now, but I can't help but wonder where the hell the desire to pursue those interests came from."

Ryou blinked, a crease in his brow. "Joey?"

He lifted his head from the couch cushion. "Yes?"

"Oh…" _His speech pattern changed halfway through that statement. I thought he'd switched out!_

"Have you ever tried to talk to him?"

Joey shook his head. "Ryou, I don't know if I can be friends with this guy. He's a real sicko. He's done some truly rotten things, and he sends me the most horrific visions of hurting and killing people I love."

"That might not be intentional. He may even be unaware of your existence. I'll talk to him."

"Wait, what if he hurts you?"

Ryou smiled, "If I could handle Bakura, I'm sure I can handle your friend."

He moved closer to Jouno and framed the blonde's face in his hands, gazing into his eyes.

_This is so perfect. I could kiss him right now!_

"Other Joey… Is there someone in there who isn't Joey? Please, I'd like to talk to you in a civil, friendly way."

They stared at each other for a few long minutes, but no 'Other Joey' answered Ryou's inquiry.

"Joey?"

"Yes?"

Ryou could feel the heat under his palms. Jouno was growing flustered with their closeness. Ryou glanced down at Jouno's lips, then up to his eyes. He asked without saying a word:

_Will you let me kiss you?_

Jouno's gaze didn't waver or wander.

_Yes_, came the reply. They started moving towards each other, and they exchanged a brief, soft kiss. When they parted and looked at each other again, Jouno's eyes were clouded with lust.

"Ryou." The second kiss was deeper and more forceful as Jouno tried to push Ryou back to a reclining position against the cushions. Ryou fought it and pulled away, standing and looking at Jouno.

"What? Ryou, was I too…?"

He stopped asking when Ryou unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside, a smile playing on his tiny, delicate mouth. He undid the fly of his jeans, opening them enough to show a tiny triangle of his underwear. He turned and walked in the direction of Joey's bedroom, and Joey followed.

* * *

After the recording session, Sakuma San and a few of the others took Bakura to a small, intimate club with dim lighting. They sat around for hours, talking and singing. Ryuichi and Bakura got up onstage and sang together. Bakura had a few drinks and got a little giggly.

One of the times Bakura was singing, Ryuichi got behind him and unbuttoned his shirt, then started tickling his chest. Bakura sang through his laughter. He was singing an obnoxious party song, so the laughter actually enhanced it.

As he finished the song to friendly applause, he stopped in his tracks.

_What the hell am I doing here, goofing around with these modern people!?! I'm the Thief King, Bakura! I'm supposed to be taking over the world, not playing around…! Not being that angelic creature's little bitch, either. Ryou… what have you done to me?_

He felt ill. For a second he thought it was nerves, but then he was struck with the intense urge to bolt. Sakuma San followed him to the bathroom and held his hair back while he puked.

* * *

**chapter 9**

**wherever i may roam**

**finish**

Note: I was planning to write a story called "The Best of Ryou", where Bakura becomes a rock star, but then I realized it might fit in well with this bizarro universe. I just finished rewatching Gravitation, so Ryuichi Sakuma popped up in this story, which seemed nice since I already had Bakura, Malik, and Mariku go to an N.G. concert earlier in the story. Anyhoo, if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know. Hopefully my next update won't take as long as this one did! *sweatdrop*


	10. Chapter 10

My computer has been beseiged by viruses. My mom took it to be debugged, but that was two weeks ago...

I figured it was better to give you a short chapter than no chapter, so please to enjoy, and hopefully I'll update again soon.

**Chapter 10**

Paoma Wong regained consciousness a few days later.

Jouno went to the hospital as soon as he heard, because he was one of Wong's worried patients who was chomping at the bit to make sure she was alright.

_I'll greet her normally and watch her expression. If she hasn't told anyone, I'll kill her; if she has, I'll play the insanity card again. I hope I don't have to do that. Incarceration would be a huge pain in the ass right now. _

Kaiba was there. He was shifting in his stance, hands on hips, giving off an air of great impatience until he looked up and saw Wheeler approaching, at which point he froze. As far away as he was, Jouno could still easily see that Kaiba's glare intensified.

When Jouno got close enough, Seto spat, "What are you doing here, Wheeler?"

Jouno kept his expression and tone perfectly innocent. "Heard Dr. Wong woke up. Came to see if she's alright."

Kaiba leaned into Jouno's face, trying to glare him down. "Are you sure you're not here to check her memory, Mutt?"

Jouno didn't crack. He almost chuckled, but felt it might qualify as some sort of tell. Their current position was too perfect. He had to say it:

"Are you sure you're not gay for me?"

Kaiba's eyes widened, then narrowed as he growled and grabbed the front of Jouno's jacket in both his fists. "You piece of trash!"

Jouno spoke calmly and evenly. "See here? You're always finding some reason to grab me, or get in my face. Maybe it's not my face you really wanna get into, hmm?"

For a moment, Seto actually looked guilty.

Jouno was grinning cooly now, but he didn't feel cool. He had that terrible sense of disembodiment again, like what had happened with Dr. Wong. This time, however, there was something different. There was this strong sense of femininity, as if he were a woman.

Kaiba released Jouno's jacket with an exaggerated swing of his arms. "Garbage", he said as he walked off. "You're garbage."

Jouno smiled, watching Seto leave, his mind currently riddled with thoughts of Kaiba in a certain light. He found that he could picture Seto naked quite easily, as if he'd already known Seto in that way.

_Oh, this is so weird, I'm not me I'm not me! Help!_

He felt like he couldn't control his own body-- terror gripped him and he wanted to scream, but his body didn't move for a long time as someone else in his head laughed at Kaiba.

He noticed another boy sitting on one of the benches a few feet away, staring at him. He looked similar to Jouno, with a headful of fluffy blonde hair, but his eyes were the same golden hue, unlike Jouno's chocolate eyes. The boy didn't look away, kept smiling that idiotic smile.

The feminine feeling was gone at once. Jouno felt like he was in control again, and he was flooded with anger as he walked over to the smiling boy.

His voice was deadly calm. "What are you smiling at?"

"Sorry, Man. It was just strange to see Mr. Kaiba emote. Man, I thought for sure he was gonna kiss you, ya know?"

Jouno smirked and arched his brow.

* * *

He went to bed sore; he woke up sore.

Ryou was laying sprawled on the bed he shared with Bakura, eyes closed, brow creased. He wanted to go back to sleep. He could tell by the intensity of the sunlight seeping through his closed eyelids that it was only 7 or 8 in the morning. He could also sense that Bakura was gone, but didn't really care where he was.

He'd slept over the first time he and Jouno had fucked, but every time since, Ryou would come home afterwards. Jouno would have his driver bring Ryou right to his door.

_What a swanky boyfriend I've got... I wonder how many gifts I can wrangle out of him?_

And then Ryou heard the most annoying, enraging sound you can possibly hear on a Saturday morning...

Someone was trying to start a lawnmower.

He jumped right out of bed and ran to the windows so fast that he smacked his head into the glass.

The garage was open, the lawnmower was out in the driveway, and there was Bakura leaning over it, pulling the rip cord again and again.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ryou stomped down the hallway and stairs, very awake now. He ran out into the yard in his powder blue pajamas with pink pinstripes, marched to where Bakura was, and stayed the thief's hand.

"What the hell are you doing, Bakura?"

_He's mad already? What the hell did I do this time?_ "You asked me to mow the lawn."

"It's barely 8 o'clock in the morning. I'm trying to sleep. Besides, any idiot knows it's best to mow in the evening."

"Can't. I have plans tonight."

"Then do it in a couple of hours."

"It'll be too hot."

"You're from Egypt! Don't be a pussy!"

"It's hotter now than it was back then! Besides, just because I'm from Egypt and I put up with 110-degree days doesn't mean I enjoyed it by any stretch of the imagination. If air conditioners had existed back then, we all would've huddled around them in our homes!"

Ryou crossed his arms and glared at Bakura, letting a long, slow breath out through his nostrils.

"Fine, mow the lawn. I'm too awake now anyway." He turned and walked back to the house. "Asshole!"

Bakura watched Ryou leave, feeling very unsatisfied.

_What kind of argument was that? He barely touched me! _"You wouldn't be so sleepy if you weren't out at all hours of the night FAGGING AROUND!!"

Ryou froze at Bakura's words, and turned around. Bakura laughed at him as Ryou dragged his errant yami into the house, into the foyer, where he kicked and punched him mercilessly. It was a flurry of fists and feet, and taunting as Bakura egged him on. Soon enough, Ryou got a good hit in that knocked Bakura unconscious. Ryou propped him against the wall so he wouldn't trip over him later, and went on his way.

Now that that rage was gone, all that was left was exhaustion. Ryou headed up the stairs to the bathroom for some aspirin for his aching muscles.

He looked at his neck in the mirror, and there were no marks on his ghostly pale skin despite the soreness he felt. Jouno had a beautiful, powerful body and he was an incredible lover, but there was one thing Ryou couldn't stand: Jouno liked to strangle him during sex.

Ryou had been seme the first night, and Jouno had been a cute, timid, awkward virgin. But every time afterwards, Jouno had been seme. He was huge and intense, and he never said a word even as Ryou writhed and screamed in ecstasy. He didn't want to deal with it, but deep down he knew that he'd been having sex with Yami Jouno.

_Why do I always wind up with the freaks? God, I'd break up with him if the sex wasn't so addictive. Speaking of which... _

He had to pass by his bedroom on the way back downstairs, so he grabbed his cellphone and dialed Jouno as he shuffled to the kitchen, barely acknowledging Bakura, who was still slumped unconscious against the wall.

* * *

Jouno's phone rang. The caller ID said _My Pretty Little Ryou_. Without thinking, Jouno sat down right next to the boy he'd been talking to, even though all the other seats were empty, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Last night was incredible, Jouno. I'm still shivering..."

Jouno chuckled deep in his throat. "Maybe we'll do that again sometime soon."

"Tonight?"

"I'm not sure. I've got to attend some sort of event at Pegsy's house. I don't know how long it'll last..." At that moment Jouno glanced over and saw that the other boy was staring right at him, listening to his conversation. He smiled a big, friendly smile and Jouno realized the guy must be one of Paoma Wong's other patients. Jouno pulled the phone away from his mouth and said, "Stop staring at me, Nutbag."

The boy tilted his head and smiled wider. "Hmmm...?"

"Nevermind." He got up and walked away, continuing his conversation. "So, Ryou, I'll give you a call... Wait. Hey, why don't you come as my date?"

Ryou was taken aback. "A date?" _Is he trying to take this to another level? I don't want to get any closer to this guy! Why can't we just be fuck-buddies and let that be it? What should I say right now?_

**chapter 10 **

**finish**

Note: Sorry if it was short and rushed. Jouno will be busy next chap, with seeing Paoma and attending the event at Pegsy's! Will Ryou join him?


	11. No Remorse

Hello, all! This update took longer than I wanted it to, but it took some time to get things right so I could feel good about it. I hope you like it. Now, please to enjoy….

**Chapter 11: NO REMORSE**

**

* * *

**

"I don't think I can accompany you, Joey. It's probably a black-tie affair, and I don't really have anything…"

"Oh, I can take care of that. I'll send a car to take you to this place Schroeder recommended. My treat."

"Uh, I don't think I can accept something like that--!"

"It's no big deal. I'll send the car right over, so be ready. See you tonight."

_Click. _

Ryou glared at the receiver in his hand. "Un-fucking-believable, this guy." _He didn't ask if I was free, or think I might have plans. He just obliterated my Saturday. I should dump his stupid ass. _

* * *

Jouno called the driver Shroeder Corp had provided and arranged for him to pick up Ryou.

"Drop him off, then go get the Rolls washed, waxed and detailed. Big night tonight, 'kay? See ya."

He sat back down just as Seto came around the corner, holding a can of coffee.

Jou leaned back, sneering at Kaiba. _What's with these fucking Japs? Hot coffee in a metal can? Fine, burn your fucking hands off, Douche. _

Seto seemed to have calmed down from his homophobic hissy fit earlier. "Did I just hear you say Rolls, Mutt?"

"Yeah, like you don't have one of your own."

"Since when can puppies drive?"

"Don't need to. I've got a driver."

"Drugs or subsi-dating?" (Subsi-dating is when older men pay schoolgirls to hang out with them.)

"Oh, right, 'cause that's all I'm capable of. Yeah, I never get tired of those jabs, Moneybags."

"'Moneybags' is not an insult, you Dumb Mutt. There are two types of people in the world: those who are rich, and those who wish they were rich."

"'Mutt'?"

Jouno and Kaiba turned to look at the blonde-haired, yellow-eyed guy.

_Shit… He was so quiet, I forgot he was there. _

"GoldenPuppy?"

Jouno's eyes widened. _My internet handle? Then this guy… He's GoldenEyes! _"I'm sorry, what?"

"He's calling you Mutt, and Puppy, and you have blonde hair…"

"I'm not the only blonde in Japan, Dumbass. Get your nose outta other peoples' business."

GoldenEyes frowned. "There's no reason to be rude, ya know. You two are so loud, I couldn't possibly ignore you, anyway."

"Maybe you just need to try harder, hm? Ever heard of a walkman?"

GoldenEyes glared Joey down for a moment, then stood up. "Ever heard of fuck you? Geez." He walked off in the general direction of Paoma's room.

"I hate hospitals. They're always full of freaks."

Kaiba sat down next to Joey, and the sides of their legs were now pressed against each other. Neither of them spoke for a long time. When Kaiba finally said something, he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, and so did Jouno.

"Where did you get the Rolls from, Wheeler?"

"I got a job."

"Doing what?"

A slight smirk. "I'll tell you later."

At this point Kaiba turned to look at the blonde hair hanging down to conceal Jou's eyes.

"Is it illegal?"

"That's really all you think of me, isn't it? Well, you know what?" He tipped his head back, sweeping the bangs up to reveal his eyes and make contact with Kaiba's. "You have no claim to me, and no right to give me any shit."

"I pay for your counseling."

"Oh, thanks for that. That's been so helpful and enjoyable. It hasn't fucked me up or wasted my time at all. I would've preferred some court-ordered quack to just go through the motions, then pass the judge a report clearing me for re-entry to my normal life—as normal as it can be, all things considered—but no, you had to get all fancy and call in this renowned psychologist or psychiatrist, whichever one she is. You just have to throw your money around and show off."

Kaiba leaned closer to Jouno, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "We both know perfectly well that you're lucky to be walking free, considering all the shit you've pulled."

"You're doing it again. You wanna kiss me right now, don't you?"

Kaiba blushed. His eyes seemed to waver for just a moment.

Jouno closed his eyes and tilted his head a little. "Come on, Kaiba. Come and take it."

Jouno heard the bench squeak as Kaiba stood. He opened his eyes in time to watch Kaiba walking away. After he was gone from Jou's sight, Jou noticed that Kaiba had left his coffee can on the floor next to his seat. It was open, and Kaiba had taken a couple of swigs, but it was still practically full.

Jou picked up the coffee and placed his lips on the mouth of the warm can. His eyelids eased shut. He didn't drink any of the coffee, that wasn't what he wanted. Eyes closed, lips lingering, he pretended he was kissing Seto Kaiba.

After another couple of minutes, the door to Paoma Wong's room opened, and the doctor came out. GoldenEyes had been standing right next to the door, so he got to talk to the doctor first.

"Oh! Is Paoma okay? Can I see her now?"

"Where's Kaiba San?"

"I dunno." He nodded in Jouno's general direction. "He had a fight with his boyfriend and stormed off."

Without another word, GoldenEyes ducked into Paoma's room. The doctor started to walk away, but Jouno stopped her.

"Hey, Doc, any word on who did this?"

The doctor shook her head. "She received a concussion and lost her memories of that entire day, so the police have their work cut out for them."

Jouno suppressed a smile.

"You may go in if you wish."

Jouno didn't see the point anymore, but went anyway since doing otherwise might look suspicious.

The privacy curtain was drawn around Paoma's bed. Jouno stopped, frowning curiously. The first thought that came to him was, _Maybe they're making out behind that curtain! An illicit affair between the doctor and the patient! _So he snuck up to stay and listen for a bit. Maybe he could find out some sensitive info on GoldenEyes.

"I can't believe you're in here all alone. Mr. Kaiba should, like, hire some guards or something. I mean, someone tried to kill you, Miss Paoma!"

"He has. They're stationed everywhere. He told me they're plain-clothes, keeping watch in case the assailant tries to come finish me off."

"Really? Damn, he's smart. No wonder he can run his own company."

Jouno wanted to peek around the curtain and see just how fucked up Paoma was, but he didn't want to make his presence known just yet.

"Miss Paoma, I hope this isn't rude or anything, but there's something going on in my life right now that I'm dying to talk to someone about."

"I'd love to hear anything you have to say, Ezra."

_So his name's Ezra! _Jouno's ears perked as he listened for more.

"I… I think I'm in love with someone… He's really an incredible person."

"Do you want to tell me about him?"

"Well, ya know, I've always wanted a Japanese lover. And the moment I met him, I knew he was the one. He has these classic Japanese looks, and he's very sophisticated, and smart."

_Sophisticated and smart? Is he talking about Kaiba? _The hairs on Jouno's nape bristled.

"I've been trying to get close to him, but he's kind of hard to reach. He's always cold and aloof, and kinda snarky. He's rich and a little snobbish, and I feel so unworthy—"

Jouno yanked the curtain aside. "HEY!!"

Ezra was sitting cross-legged on Dr. Wong's bed. He looked up in shock.

Jouno closed in and glared into Ezra's golden eyes. "Kaiba's _MINE_, MotherFucker!"

"Huh?" He cowered away. Jouno grabbed Ezra by the collar and dragged him off of the bed, pulling him away and not noticing Dr. Wong's protests.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? I never seen ya before, but you're stompin' all over my territory!"

Jouno felt something wet on his hands and realized Ezra was crying. He stopped shaking him and looked at his face. Tears were streaming from Ezra's eyes, but he wasn't fighting back or even trying to break free.

_What the fuck is up with this guy? He's not puttin' up any sort of fight! Where's the fun in that? Gotta admit, though, he's pretty damn cute with tears welling up in those golden eyes. _

Then the feeling passed, and Jou felt a pang of remorse. "I'm… sorry…"

Ezra wiped his face. "It's not Kaiba, okay? You probably never even heard of him, so just leave me alone."

Paoma called out, "Ezra, are you okay?"

At her voice, Ezra broke free, then ran and jumped onto Paoma's bed, hugging her, huddling against her for protection.

Jouno walked over, regarding Wong. He shrugged his eyebrows. "You look good, Doc."

"Mr. Wheeler, please come visit me tomorrow. I'd like to talk to you, but you've frightened and harmed my other patient. The best thing to do would be to leave for now, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay." He gave Ezra one last look. The boy was pretty cute. Cute like Ryou, or Seto, or Mokuba…

Jouno smiled. _What a wonderful world. So many adorable fuck-holes around._

As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of Kaiba talking to the doctor. They didn't seem to have heard the scuffle from earlier, which was hard to believe.

_He's probably just trying to play it cool, like always. _Jouno smirked and sauntered over to him, dropping each footstep hard on the tile floor.

Kaiba and the doctor kept talking. Jouno smiled at Kaiba for a second, then leaned on him, rubbing his face against Kaiba's shoulder. Kaiba stopped for a moment, then kept talking without doing anything.

Once they'd finished talking and the doctor went on her way, Kaiba violently shook Jouno off of his arm. "Get away from me! What do you think you're doing?"

"I couldn't help but feel drawn to my master."

"Kaiba sighed, "Have you kept up with your meds?"

He suddenly took a step away. His response was too glib—"Yeah, of course." He half-turned and smiled at Kaiba over his shoulder, his chocolaty eyes glinting through his dirty blonde bangs.

_They're so deep and beautiful, but there's something unsettling about those eyes. They don't look entirely human—they look somehow monstrous, or demonic. _

Jouno started walking away. "Well, then, I guess I'll see you tonight."

"Wait!" Kaiba went after him. "What the hell do you mean, tonight?"

Jouno went through the door marked _Stairwell_. The stairs were concrete poured into metal frames. Jouno started down, every footfall echoing off the brick walls.

"What do you mean by tonight, Wheeler? If you come to my door, I'll have you arrested."

"Your courtship methods are rather odd, Mister Kaiba."

Kaiba grabbed Jouno by the shoulder and roughly turned him around. "Stay away from my house."

"Gimme a break, no one cares that much about their house. What you really mean is, 'Stay away from Mokuba'. All I did was hang out and watch a movie with him. Is there something I'm missing here?"

Kaiba grabbed Jouno and shoved him backwards into the wall. His body and head smashed into the brick wall. Kaiba then punched Jouno's face hard across the cheekbone, which sent his head backwards to bang against the wall again. His groans filled the stairwell. He tasted blood, and gulped. Kaiba was in his face, growling in his low, sexy voice.

"If you get anywhere near him, I'll have you locked up. All I have to do is say the word."

"If it were that easy, you woulda done it already."

He reached up with one hand and caressed Kaiba's face, watching the reaction in those deep blue eyes. "You've got to give in, Seto. I know you want me."

Kaiba placed his hand over Jouno's and left it there for almost a full minute. Then he pulled it away from his face and tossed it aside. Without another word, he turned and went back up the stairs.

* * *

By the time Bakura regained consciousness, it was dark. The sun had not set yet, but the sky was gray and overcast outside, and there were no lights on inside, making it hard to see anything.

_Where am I?_

Blinking, he tried to move and pain arose in his limbs, side and head. Every kick, slap and punch Ryou had dealt him was alive and pulsing in his skin, his muscles, and his bones. Maybe worse than the pain was the profound stiffness in his neck and right shoulder. He'd been sleeping with his head leaning over at an extreme angle all this time.

Bakura got to his feet slowly, his eyes adjusting to the gloom and allowing him to make out the foyer. The house was silent. Ryou had turned off the air conditioner to save on electricity, and then left.

_He didn't take care of me. He just left me here, like a sack of trash…!_

An approaching sound brought Bakura out of his thoughts.

Someone was coming up to the front door.

_Sakuma San? Have I lost that much time?_

Knocking, and an unexpected voice: "Hey Thief!"

The silver-haired thief shuffled to the door and opened it wide. Malik was smiling at first, but his expression became one of concern when he saw Bakura's somber countenance. "What happened to you, Bakura?"

Bakura shook his head.

Malik stepped into the foyer, closing the door behind him, and put a reassuring hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Do you want me to tell Sakuma San you can't make it? I could stay with you."

Bakura was at a complete loss. He needed Ryou, but he had no idea where Ryou was.

_At every turn he makes it clear that he'll never love me… but I'll always be a prisoner to my love for him. This is agony…_

"I don't feel like singing today."

"You don't have to if you're not up to it. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. ShuChan and Sakuma San are both going to be there. Just kick back and listen to them. It'll be great."

Bakura looked into Malik's eyes. Malik looked back into Bakura's eyes.

_If I tried to kiss him right now… would he let me…?_

Although Bakura had been looking forward to another session with Sakuma, and could remember how much fun he'd had last time, Ryou was looming large in his mind, overshadowing everything else. He found himself lacking the motivation or strength to move from where he stood.

"Bakura? … Bakura?"

"… Should've taken me to the hospital. Could've at least patched me up."

"Who? Ryou?"

Malik gently put his arms around Bakura. Bakura didn't pull away.

"I'm sick of being in love with him. All this feeling does is bring me pain."

"Ryou's a rotten guy and a snob. He doesn't deserve the affection of someone like you."

Bakura gazed over Malik's shoulder at the cut-glass window in the door, a little mesmerized by the faint light playing on the uneven surfaces. _I'm a thief and a murderer, a lying, scheming bastard. You'd think we'd be perfect for each other. _"Tell them I couldn't make it."

Malik was still holding him close. Bakura could feel warmth coming off the Tomb Keeper's body. His eyes drifted closed without him willing or acknowledging, and ultimately not minding it.

"Malik… You feel so good…"

Bakura was started into opening his eyes when Malik pulled away. Bakura thought for a second that Malik was about to punch him or run off.

Instead, Malik caressed the side of Bakura's face, gazing into his eyes. There was such compassion in those lavender eyes. Bakura was drawn into a kiss with the Tomb Keeper.

It was so timid and gentle at first. Malik put his arms around Bakura's waist and drew him close, deepening the kiss. Bakura moaned softly at the first brush of Malik's tongue against his.

Their breathing came faster, their bodies became hotter. Malik led Bakura to the couch in front of the living room window, the same couch from which Bakura would gaze wistfully outside and watch Ryou's comings and goings. He gently pushed on Bakura's chest to make him sit down, then straddled him, kissing him again, caressing him. Bakura was startled and aroused when Malik rolled his hips against Bakura's. Bakura grunted, feeling the strain in his jeans. He didn't notice when it happened, but by now, all the pain— from his injuries, and the sorrow caused by the one who'd dealt those injuries— all of that was drowned out by a passionate desire for Malik and his wonderful body.

"Bakura," Malik breathed, "I want to make love to you."

Bakura froze. Malik stopped and looked at him. "Are you okay with me?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Do you not want me?"

"I do want you. It's just that... I sort of know how it works, but I've never done any of it…"

Malik smiled. "That's okay. I'll take care of you."

* * *

"Ezra, Mr. Kaiba and I need to discuss some confidential matters. You can't stay for that."

"Aww, but I just barely got here."

"It wouldn't be right for you to overhear personal things. I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Hey, how 'bout I go down to the cafeteria and grab a snack? By the time I come back, you'll probably be done talking, right?"

Paoma Wong smiled and patted Ezra lightly on the head. "If that's what you want to do, I'll see you in a short while."

Ezra hopped off the bed and took a few steps before suddenly stopping and turning around. "Hey, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto looked at him, his eyes the usual cold, disinterested cerulean.

"That guy that was here earlier? He's got the hots for you. Like, **bad**. You shoulda heard him earlier. He was all like, 'Kaiba's MINE, Motherfucker!'"

Kaiba blanched. "Why the hell are you telling me this?"

Ezra shrugged. "Thought you'd like to know. I mean, I would. Someone loves you. You should be happy. Course, he did say 'Kaiba' and not 'Seto'… but what are the odds that he's in love with Mokuba? Ha!"

Seto clenched his fist. "Just get the hell out of here, Ezra!"

* * *

"Thank you."

Malik was leaning over Bakura. They'd finished, and now Malik was dabbing Bakura clean with a handful of tissue. He looked up at Bakura, a grin on his lips. "For what?"

_For taking care of me the way Ryou used to. For making love to me. For looking at me the way you are right now. _

Instead of saying anything, he caressed Malik's face, feeling the Egyptian's warm breath on his thumb. Malik closed his eyes, leaning into it, like a cat.

Malik kissed Bakura again, then laid back beside him, snuggling against his side. Bakura chuckled deep in his throat.

"What is it?"

"My whole body aches. Every time the pain wells up I can't help but laugh."

"I didn't think I was that rough."

Bakura remembered that Malik didn't know about Ryou's true nature. He stood up. "Let's go. I feel like singing."

* * *

"I will only say this, Kaiba San. If I believed Jouno Wheeler was becoming a genuine threat to himself or others, I would have him institutionalized straight away."

"So you don't think he's the one who attacked you?"

Paoma shook her head. "He has no reason to want to harm me."

Kaiba was sitting in a chair next to Paoma's bed, elbow resting on an armrest, forehead propped up on his hand, looking nonplussed.

"Care to tell me what you've got on your mind?"

"This guy… he's a pain in the ass."

"If it weren't for Jouno Wheeler, you could focus all your attention on running Kaiba Corp and pursuing your life goals. He's disrupting your plans because you have such a hard time ignoring him."

Kaiba looked up at her.

"Did I accurately paraphrase your thoughts?"

"Is it written on my face or something…?"

"You have feelings for him, but you don't think you can allow yourself to explore these feelings because of his past. You can't bring yourself to love someone who did such horrible things, even if he has no recollection of those events."

Seto looked away. He silently waited for Paoma to continue.

"You should keep in mind that Jouno Wheeler did not choose to become unwell. He did not choose the things he did while in altered mental states. It is possible to love someone while hating their illness."

Kaiba absentmindedly muttered something that sounded like _I _[love him]or it could've been Japanese, _Ai _(love)… but he stopped himself before he finished his thought.

_

* * *

_

**chapter 11**

**NO REMORSE**

**finish**


	12. Whiplash

**Chapter 12: Whiplash**

* * *

Mokuba was surfing around on TV, changing the channel every 3-5 seconds. "Boring. Boring. Lame. Boring. Seen it too many times. Rerun. Boring. Boring. Lame. Who picks these programs?"

Whether or not the noise bothered Seto depended on how involved he was in his work. Tonight his mind was convoluted with thoughts about that damn Mutt, and the ongoing investigation into Dr. Wong's assault.

He was trying to brush those thoughts aside and focus on work, which had been a good coping mechanism in the past, but it wasn't going well. He could've asked Mokie to leave, or picked up his laptop and gone off to another room, but he didn't want to do that. He needed his baby brother's presence more than he needed to work in peace and quiet.

Seto went back and deleted another mistyped paragraph. He couldn't focus at all, and what little work he did produce was sorely sub-par. _I must've lost my brain somewhere! I should just give up. Call it a night. _

He rubbed his eyes, an excuse to stop typing for a few seconds. _I can't. I don't know what I'd be doing if I wasn't sitting here typing. _

Sighing, he looked up at Mokuba, who'd elected to sit on the coffee table instead of the couch for some reason. Mokie had landed on something that had him laughing, a sound adorable in its purity and sweetness.

Kaiba unintentionally smiled at the sound, but his smile froze when his gaze landed on the scarf. It was blue with white stripes and Mokuba wore it all the time now, to cover the scar.

Memories swarmed to the forefront of his mind, unwanted, mortifying. He felt the need to shake his head to get rid of them. He willed them all away— every sight, every word, and the things he felt during that bizarre encounter with Jouno…

"Seto!"

He broke out of his thoughts and looked at Mokuba, who was walking up to him now, remote mostly forgotten in his hand. "What's wrong, Seto?"

The elder brother locked eyes with the younger, losing himself in the young boy's smoke-colored eyes, which showed maturity beyond the age belied by Mokuba's small, slim build. Seto was struck with the desire to scoop Mokuba up and kiss every inch of his baby brother's sweet face. Instead, he said:

"When Wheeler was here the other night…"

"Seto, I already told you, it was fine. It's Joey, it's not like he could do any harm."

Seto studied Mokuba's eyes. _He truly doesn't remember… Thank the gods… _

Mokuba took a step towards his older brother, who swept him up into an embrace.

"You don't have to worry so much about me, Big Brother. I hate to see you so stressed out. I think you're even more stressed out when worrying about me than when you're running Kaiba Corp."

"Of course I am," Kaiba insisted. "You mean more to me than this company ever will. You mean more to me than anything, you got it?"

"Yeah…" Mokuba smiled ear to ear over Seto's shoulder.

The phone rang, but Seto did not move to answer it. After a couple of rings, Mokuba pulled out of Seto's arms. "You should get that. It's probably important." He turned off the TV and laid the remote on the coffee table, and headed off to his room. "G'night."

Kaiba picked up the receiver. "Seto Kaiba."

It was Roland. "Sir, there's been a break in the Wong case. Forensics just informed me that they've isolated two blood samples from the crime scene. One is Wong's, of course, but the other is unknown."

_Stabbing and slashing are messy assault methods. He must've accidentally cut himself._ "Tell them to compare the unknown blood sample to Joseph Wheeler, case number 04-1218."

* * *

As they got closer to ZeppTokyo ClubHouse, Bakura grew more anxious. He was chomping at the bit to jump up on stage again and sing the perfect song.

He was on the back of Malik's FXDB Daytona, arms wrapped tight around the Egyptian's torso. Bakura wanted to nuzzle the hollow of Malik's shoulder, but it would've been difficult to do, since Malik insisted on wearing his dorky-looking motorcycle helmet.

Bakura chuckled, _What kind of villain wears his helmet? I'm surprised he didn't strap on some kneepads and a cup!_

Of course, Malik was no longer a villain. Even the embodiment of his evil side, Mariku, had lost interest in world conquest, in favor of hedonism. All they did anymore was goof around with the members of Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper—they'd even gone on tour with Bad Luck and learned to play instruments (badly, they'd joke).

_They seem so happy, but I wonder if they miss the scheming and the power-plays at all. I'll ask Malik later. _

* * *

Ryou and Jouno got bored milling around at the party, and so decided to go exploring. Everything was of exquisite quality, but they soon grew bored of this, too, and decided there was one more fun thing they could do, so they went in search of Pegasus's bedroom. They'd already found a few guestrooms, but Ryou wanted to see the master bedroom, which was undoubtedly the most lavish, and therefore the best possible place for them to go and fuck.

"Wow. Look at that."

"It's huge."

They walked into Pegasus's master bedroom, beholding the humongous bed in the middle of the garishly decorated place. It was 15 feet wide and 10 feet long, with elaborately carved wooden posts, and a plush comforter, and a million fluffy pillows adorning the head.

"Now this is a king's bed. How'd you like to sleep here?"

"Sleep?"

They laughed.

Ryou leaned back against the bed, gaze locked with Jouno's as he closed in, leaning towards Ryou and kissing him. They started sliding out of their jackets, untying their ties, unbuttoning their buttons. Their bodies were pressed against each other. Jouno used his body to push Ryou backwards onto the bed. Ryou fell back against the mattress, breathing fast, reaching up for Jouno, grasping at his clothes, running his hands over Jouno's now-exposed chest. Jouno climbed onto Ryou, putting one leg between Ryou's thighs and moving against him. Ryou was moaning, unbuttoning Jouno's pants, eager to feel Jou inside him again—

Jouno's phone rang. Jou answered it without hesitation.

Ryou got up on his elbows. "What are you doing?"

Jou shushed him. "Yes, I'm here… Oh. Ryou and I, uh, went for a stroll in the garden. He does? Yeah, I have it. I'll be right there."

Jouno moved away from Ryou, putting his shirt and jacket back on, straightening his tie and collar. "Pegasus wants a demo. I gotta go."

"Well, can't it wait? I'm already hard. What am I supposed to do?"

Jouno was already walking to the door. He shrugged, "You've got hands." He opened the door and took one last look at Ryou. "When you're ready to go home, just take the Rolls. I'll find another ride. See you." Then he was gone.

Ryou didn't waste time being angry. He threw himself backwards on Pegasus's bed and masturbated frantically. When he came, he shot it all over the fancy bedclothes.

* * *

Ryou still felt torqued up, so he had the driver take him to ZeppTokyo ClubHouse. He knew Malik and Mariku might be there, but he couldn't think of anyplace else to go.

_Besides_, thought Ryou, _all I'm going to do is waltz in and grab the first sexy guy I can find. _

There was a line. It was Saturday night, after all. Ryou told the driver to park somewhere close, because he didn't intend to stay long.

He got into line and tried not to let the boredom get to him as he stood sandwiched between club kids talking to their friends and dates.

"Excuse me. Excuse me." A hand roughly tapped Ryou on the shoulder. He turned to see a lanky teenage boy who was not ugly, but was certainly not attractive.

"It's you."

Ryou frowned, curious.

"That hair is unmistakable. Why are you standing in line, Bakura?"

At his words, the girl in front of Ryou in the line swung around. "Bakura? Bakura's here?"

She saw Ryou and her eyes lit up. "Oh-Em-Gee! I heard you were inside! What are you doing out here? You should get inside!"

He didn't understand what they were talking about until he got inside and saw who was performing that night.

There was Bakura onstage with Malik, Mariku, and Shuichi Shindou. Malik was playing keyboard, and Mariku was playing bass. Surprisingly, they sounded good.

Bakura was singing a duet with ShuChan. He was swiveling his hips to the beat of the music, sweat glistening on his face. His voice was amazing—not too deep, with a slight husky edge to it… very sensual.

Ryou could hardly process what he was seeing. He vaguely remembered Bakura singing karaoke at a social gathering, but that was only once almost everyone was gone, and he'd still performed with great restraint. He was nothing like the loud, sexy rock god on stage right now.

There came Malik's keyboard solo, during which Mariku set the bass aside, put his arms around Bakura, and they started dancing around on stage. A swell of _fujoshi _(yaoi fangirl) cries filled the club, and a chant rose:

"Ya-OY! Ya-OY! Ya-OY!"

The cries and cheers reached a fever pitch when Mariku leaned towards Bakura and they kissed tenderly.

Ryou staggered backwards a step, falling against the nearest guardrail. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Bakura.

_What the hell is going on? Why is Bakura letting that desert rat kiss him?_ _Has he lost his mind?_

The musical interlude ended and ShuChan started singing. Bakura and Mariku parted, Mariku running over to pick up his bass again, Bakura joining ShuChan at the mic. While they were singing, ShuChan put his arm around Bakura's shoulder—not a flirtatious gesture, merely a friendly one. Still, it sent a wave of anger crashing over Ryou.

Ryou turned and shoved his way through the crowd, anxious to get out of there.

* * *

DNA testing would take 5-10 days, maybe even a few weeks, depending on how busy the lab was. It had occurred to Seto to rush things along, but at the same time he was dreading what the results might be.

He was lying in Mokuba's bed, curled up beside him, watching him sleep. The sheets were pulled up to Mokie's chin, and he was breathing softly through his slightly parted lips.

Seto leaned over him, hoping Mokie wouldn't stir, and kissed his baby brother's eyelids. Mokuba slept on.

_I'll never leave you alone again, Mokie. I love you more than anything. You'll never suffer or feel even a moment of fear again. _

He turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling and thinking about someone else who held a claim to his heart.

_Please, don't let it be Jouno. Please, let him be innocent. _

* * *

Most of the guests had gone—all that remained in the once-bustling ballroom were a few stragglers dancing in lazy circles across the dance floor.

Jouno went past the ballroom, not stopping to attack the banquet table, though he did cast a brief, longing glance at the foodstuffs he saw left on the serving plates. Then back to business as he continued on towards the main foyer, where a man was waiting to escort Jouno to another part of the house.

He was led to a den with the same decadent trappings as the rest of the house. Pegasus was sitting on a plush red velvet sofa. In front of the sofa was a coffee table with a coffee pot, cups, and a plate with cookies and cake slices set upon it. Behind the sofa by a few feet was a ceiling-high bookshelf which was built into the wall. At the far end of the rectangular room was a grand fireplace flanked by a wingback chair and a loveseat.

"Please, Mr. Wheeler, have a seat."

Jouno sat down in the smaller, modest green chair that was set facing Pegasus across the coffee table. Jouno eyed the cake slices eagerly.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Jouno grabbed a cake slice in his hand and bit into it. "Mm. Delicious."

"If you don't mind, Jounouchi, I'd like very much to have a go at this game you've come up with."

Jouno pulled a flash drive out of his pocket. "Right here. All I need is a computer."

Pegasus nodded at a servant, who went off to get one. "May I ask why you've decided to call the game _Giga Grave_?"

"It's just a working title. Never really cared for it, I'll probably change it."

"How did you get the idea for _Giga Grave_?"

"Just playin', playing games on the net, and on the Wii, and they're good, but I keep thinking of things I wish were in those games, and I keep thinking, 'They shoulda done this instead', and the list got so long it was enough to constitute a whole new game, you know?"

Pegs nodded. "Well, I look forward to forging a business relationship with you, whether this game is right for Duel Monsters or not. I'm glad you and I can be friends, Mr. Wheeler."

Jouno popped three or four cookies into his mouth and washed them down with some coffee. "Mm-hm."

"I'm glad you're not the sort to hold a grudge."

"Mm."

"So I'm right in believing that it's all just water under the bridge, right?"

Jouno looked up. "Water under the bridge?"

Pegasus looked uncomfortable for a second. "Yes. All that unpleasantness a few months ago…"

"Oh. Nah, don't worry about it. Can't remember most of it anyway." He shrugged. "Bottom line is, I got the money for Serenity's surgery and she ain't goin' blind no more."

The servant, a young man in a tuxedo, came in and moved the food and coffee aside to make room for a laptop computer. He set it up, bowed to Pegasus, and left without speaking. As soon as he was a good distance away, however, he was on his phone, dialing Seto Kaiba's number.

* * *

"Where would you like to go, Sir?"

Ryou was in the back of the Rolls Royce, nursing a can of iced coffee, wishing it were liquor. The Rolls was parked in an empty lot in the middle of downtown Tokyo. There was nothing outside except empty commercial buildings and pitch-black night.

"Can we just stay here a while?"

"If you wish, sir." He cut the motor.

"No, turn it back on. It's the middle of summer, it's too hot to be without air conditioning."

The driver turned the car back on. Ryou slipped out of his jacket, removing his tie and undoing a couple of shirt buttons. He looked at the driver, their gazes meeting in the reflection of the rearview mirror.

"I hope I'm not keeping you from your wife… kids…."

"I'm not married."

"I'm kind of surprised. You're a pretty handsome guy, you know that?"

He didn't answer, but his eyes were seriously locked with Ryou's now.

Ryou leaned back, undoing another button. "Why don't you come back here and hang out with me for a while? It's probably more comfortable."

The driver got out of the driver's seat and a few seconds later, the door next to Ryou opened. Neither of them paused or spoke— he climbed in eagerly, getting on top of Ryou and kissing him hungrily as soon as they were in reach of each other.

* * *

Shuichi Shindou and Bakura spent the night singing solos and duets, feeding off the energy of the crowd and loving the attention they got. Although Ryuichi spent most of the night watching from the balcony, he joined Bakura and ShuChan onstage and all three stood together and sang _Shining Collection_, a love song ShuChan's _aijin_ (true love) Eiri Yuki had written about him.

They stayed a while after the owners had closed up, enjoying free drinks and relaxing.

Sitting on the edge of the stage with Sakuma, Bakura watched as ShuChan danced around the empty floor, yelling about how awesome he was and how much ass their show kicked. Malik and Mariku were chasing him around, trying to pounce and have their naughty way with him.

"How long have you known them?"

Bakura looked up at Sakuma San's cool, mellow expression.

"Since Battle City. A couple of years, I guess."

"You seem to be pretty close with them."

Bakura watched Malik, remembering what they'd done on the living room couch. His face warmed. "Yeah. Pretty damn close."

"Maybe you should show them your notebook sometime."

_All that embarrassing crap I write about Ryou? Forget it! _"Maybe."

"Singer, Keyboardist, Bass Player. You've got all you need."

Bakura's eyes widened and he looked up as Ryou leaned closer.

"I've been talking to Tohma."

Bakura shook his head. "This is fun, but I'm not like you and ShuChan. I can't do what you do."

Ryuichi jumped up onto the stage and threw his pink stuffed bunny right at Bakura's head. "Mr. Bear Attack!!"

The stuffed bunny hit Bakura hard enough to knock him off the stage. He sat up, rubbing his head, looking up at Ryuichi's fierce expression.

"You can pass on it if that's what you truly want, Bakura, but don't think for a minute that you don't have what it takes." He hopped down and kneeled beside Bakura.

"I've known there was something special about you from the moment I first heard you sing. At that very moment, I made it my mission to bring that sparkle out and share it with the whole world."

ShuChan's voice filled the room: "Oh, nooo! Ah, no! Stop!"

The Egyptians had caught him and were making a sandwich—Malik was holding the pink-haired singer, while Mariku was sticking his hand up ShuChan's shirt and licking his neck. ShuChan's face was red and he was writhing around, waving his arms dramatically.

"No, Stop. No. Stop…"

A car horn sounded outside.

ShuChan shoved both Malik and Mariku away with no effort at all.

"YUKI!!!!" He ran, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

Malik and Mariku laughed it off, then walked over to where Ryuichi and Bakura were.

"I guess it's a good time to head home."

Mariku held his hand out to Bakura. Bakura took it, and Mariku pulled the thief to his feet. Then he hooked his arm around Bakura's slim, pale neck.

"Come spend the night with us, Thief."

Bakura looked at Malik, then at Mariku. He wanted to, but…

"I don't think I'm ready to do anything kinky yet."

They spoke in unison: "You call _that _kinky?"

* * *

Kaiba's phone was set to beep once, so as not to wake Mokie. He answered it right away, whispering and sneaking out of Mokuba's room so he could speak normally.

He started making his way to the nearest den, so he could turn on a light and sit down. "Do you have any news?"

"Mr. Schroeder was here like we thought he'd be, and he left some time ago, but someone is still here and he's having a private meeting with Mr. Pegasus."

"Who is it?"

"Jouno Wheeler."

Kaiba turned on the den lights, sitting down on a plush wingback chair.

"Jounouchi Wheeler, the duelist?"

"That's right, Sir. Apparently this guy designed a game for Schroeder Corp! He's the hotshot genius game creator that Schroeder Corp recently hired."

Kaiba blinked groggily at the room. "That can't be right. Joey Wheeler's an idiot who could barely master Duel Monsters, let alone design his own game. The first time I showed him the Duel Disk system, he nearly pissed himself."

"It's him, sir. Shaggy blonde hair, brown eyes, oddly out-of-place New York accent… oh, and Pegasus called him by name. It's Jounouchi Wheeler."

Kaiba sighed, frowning. _This doesn't make any sense. This is like Yugi burning his deck, or Anzu starring in one of those "Girls Gone Wild" movies… _

"Observe the meeting. Get me info on this new game. I expect you in my office at 7am for a debriefing."

* * *

**chapter 12**

**whiplash**

**finish**

KT: Sakuma San and ShuChan made this chapter pretty lighthearted compared to previous entries. Hope you enjoyed, and let me know what you think! See ya next chapter!


	13. Master of Puppets

KT: This is a 100% Ryou/Bakura chapter. Maybe soon I'll have a 100% Jouno/Kaiba chapter.

**Chapter 13: Master of Puppets**

* * *

He was still over him, catching his breath. A drop of sweat fell from the driver's temple and patted on Ryou's cheek. As he watched, the driver's expression changed from one of ecstasy to one of mortification and shame.

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked him. Instead of answering, the driver sheepishly pulled away, opening the door and slipping out. After a few seconds, the driver's door opened and the driver was getting in behind the wheel.

Ryou had experienced this before— a frantic fuck followed by regret and a staunch declaration of heterosexuality. He knew exactly what the driver would say next: Either "This was a mistake", or "Please don't tell anybody."

The driver did not surprise him: "This was a mistake. Please don't tell anyone."

Ryou sighed noisily. "It's not like this meant anything. Just take me home, Minuteman."

* * *

It was still a little overcast when Ryou got home, and all the house's lights were off, so it was a bit dark, but he could still make out the shape of the lawnmower, which was still sitting in the driveway where Bakura had left it. Ryou put it back in the garage, cursing under his breath the whole time. It was supposed to roll along easily if you pulled on the handle but one of the wheels had some sort of twine wrapped around it and it was stuck, which made lugging the damn thing back into the garage a major pain in the ass.

While he was doing that, he got an idea and tucked it away in the back of his mind.

_Oh, there's no way in hell I'm gonna forget an idea that good._

He closed the garage and went into the house, tired and sweaty by now. The interior was deep dark and the stale air pressed down on him from all sides. He could tell the place was empty, so he didn't bother looking around. He turned on the air conditioning and went to the kitchen. In the fridge there was a tiny bottle of cheap sake that he'd bought on his last grocery trip; he took it upstairs into the bath.

He soaked in the hot tub, pouring the sake out a sip at a time into a tiny plastic cup.

He masturbated because he was unhappy and just wanted to feel something good. He came quickly, barely feeling the orgasm. He kept going, wanting to have a better orgasm, but he just wasn't in the spirit of things. He'd gone soft by then, so he gave up and tried to just relax. He drank some more sake. He was trying to turn his thoughts away from Bakura, but he kept going back to what he'd seen Bakura do at ZeppTokyo clubhouse.

_Why did he let Mariku kiss him like that, in front of all those people? He's always been a stuck up little prude who freaked out at any mention of sex. I don't understand what happened to him. I can still see him when I close my eyes, locking lips with that bastard… could've been worse, I suppose… he could've kissed Malik instead. _

He got hard and jerked off again— the orgasm was better this time, causing Ryou to moan softly. Sighing, coming down, a thought occurred to him.

_He let Mariku kiss him because they were in front of all those fan girls. That must be it! Bakura was just giving the audience a show! _Ryou smirked. _I bet as soon as they were backstage, Bakura kicked the shit out of that desert rat. _

_Lots of idol singers act that way— getting gay at shows with their band mates just to drive the girls crazy. It's just an act… Bakura, you're such an asshole. _

* * *

Malik and Mariku rode off on Malik's motorcycle, and Bakura went home with Ryuichi Sakuma and K San. Bakura sat in the back seat with Ryuichi, watching the city lights sail past out the windows, little gems against the darkness of 3 am.

"Bakura, can I ask you a favor?"

He turned and looked at Sakuma San, who was smiling that kind, gentle smile. "What is it, Sakuma San?"

"Would you lend me your notebook?"

"Why would you want to see that?"

"The things you write are beautiful, Bakura. Add music to them, and you've got an anthem for true love. Your feelings for Ryou are intense and so sweet. Don't you want to tell the world about them?"

"No, that'd be too humiliating."

"Please, lend me your notebook. You can't write such beautiful things and then hide them from the world. "

"I'm not even sure I want to try this band stuff. I've got other things I'm supposed to be doing with my time." Bakura looked away from Sakuma, thinking about the millennium items for the first time in who knows how long, feeling guilty.

"Hey, Bakura? How did it feel being up there, singing your heart out for everyone to hear? How'd it feel when the crowd cheered and called for you?"

Bakura closed his eyes for a moment, reliving it. "It was a connection. It was something wonderful."

"Don't rob yourself of that feeling. Don't rob the world of your voice. I believe in you, Bakura, and so do Malik and Mariku. They've already told me that they want to be a part of whatever you do."

Bakura swallowed, then reached into his back pocket and pulled out the worn single-subject notebook, which had been folded lengthwise so it would fit. "Please take care of them."

The feeling came over Bakura as he stepped out of K Sans' car—emptiness, oppression. He had to force a grin as he waved goodbye to Ryuichi, who made Kumagoro wave with him.

"Bye, Bakura! I'll call you in a few days, okay?"

Bakura stood and watched as the car disappeared from view, then turned and started walking up into the house.

The first thing Bakura noticed was that the air conditioning was on now.

_Ryou came home, but there are no lights on. He must've gone off to bed already. _

Bakura went to the kitchen for something to drink. There was nothing in the fridge, so he made do with a glass of iced water. He stood by the table, forcing himself to drink slowly, even though he was parched.

He was overcome by a sudden powerful sensation of pain against his back; forced forward, he fell on his elbows. He looked up to see Ryou standing there wielding a strange new toy.

It was a length of garden hose, 5 or 6 feet, that had been folded in half, and the ends taped together with electrical tape. It looked kind of like a whip. This strange item was what Ryou had walked up and struck Bakura across the back with, sneaking up quietly and attacking him without any warning.

Ryou had that eerie, inscrutable expression again. "Where were you tonight?"

"I went for a walk."

"Don't lie to me." He swung it up and back, then brought it down on Bakura's back again. Bakura cried out, crawling off into the nearest corner.

"Did you forget how to walk? Get up. Get up right now! GET UP, you stupid SHIT!" Ryou's foot came swinging out and rammed into Bakura's side. He felt and heard the cracking of his ribs. Before Bakura could try to stand, the loop of garden hose was around his neck, tightening as Ryou twisted the strange object around his yami's neck. With frightening strength, Bakura was yanked and dragged into the living room.

Ryou finally eased on the hose and dropped Bakura on the carpet in front of the sofa in the living room. He clicked on the lamp on the end table.

"Tell me what that is," Ryou ordered. Bakura leaned forward and peered at the spot on the sofa cushion that Ryou was pointing at.

There on the cushion was a small stain. Just three tiny white droplets…

_Oh, it's cum! From me and Malik!_

"Whose is it, Bakura? Who did you fuck in my house?" Ryou's eyes were deadly cold little stones with a glint of such hatred in them as he stared Bakura down.

"Was it Mariku? If it was, I may just have to beat you to death."

Bakura got to his feet and dusted himself off, but didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.

"What's wrong?" Ryou yanked on Bakura's side bangs, forcing his head to suddenly jerk painfully to the side. "Can't hear? I asked you who you fucked on my couch in my fucking living room, in my fucking house, which you live in rent-free!"

"It doesn't matter to you! You already dumped him!"

Ryou's mouth dropped open, his fingers sliding out from Bakura's hair. "So it was Malik…"

Bakura watched him, trying to decipher his expression.

Ryou's hand went down from Bakura's hair to slowly wind its fingers around his throat, the sudden heat wrapping around Bakura like a living scarf. The way Ryou held him didn't restrict his breathing. His index finger and thumb dug into the sides of Bakura's neck under the jaw line, and it was very painful. Bakura was moaning uncontrollably, and each vocalization made the pain worse.

"Why Malik? You know how much I hate those people…"

_He was nice to me, and I was lonely… You're hardly around anymore, Ryou. My Precious Light…and then when you are here…_

Ryou let go of Bakura's neck and slapped him smartly across the face. "Answer me! Why him of all the people in the world? Why in my house? Were you just trying to mock me? Tell me why!"

Bakura cleared his throat, wincing. "Because…"

Ryou was watching him closely now.

_Because I couldn't have you. _That was what Bakura wanted to say, but all he could get out was,"Because… Because…"

He couldn't say it. Ryou was gazing so intently at him, his eyes so deep and beautiful in the somewhat dim light of the small lamp beside the couch.

_Maybe now is the time to try._

He lifted his hand and stroked at Ryou's hair, letting his fingers trail down from the hair to Ryou's temple, down the side of his face, until the finger tips rested at Ryou's jaw line and his thumb was on Ryou's chin, just below his bottom lip. Ryou's eyes widened a little and he seemed to be trembling now. As Bakura regarded him lovingly, tears welled up in Ryou's eyes and spilled out over his face.

"Ryou… I…"

"No!" He slapped Bakura's hand away and shoved him backwards. Bakura stumbled back a few steps and crashed into the nearest wall, sliding down to land on his ass. By the time he hit the floor, Ryou was over him with the hose. Before Bakura had time to think, Ryou was using it to wail on him again, crying out furiously with every strike.

He didn't notice when Ryou started, but he soon realized that Ryou was screaming a long string of angry cusswords and "I hate you!" over and over again. The declaration of hate, so dogged and filled with rage, hurt more than the beating. It broke Bakura's heart, because Ryou had called him names and insulted him and nagged him, but he'd never used the word _hate_ before.

"You ruined my life! I hate you, you sorry fucker! I hate you I hateyou_Ihateyou_!"

Bakura was sobbing and screaming now—not from the pain of the hose lashing into him or the cracked ribs, or the sore neck or yanked hair.

_Why do you hate me, Ryou? I try to be good; I try to make up for the way I used to act. I try to be your friend and your stress relief; I try so hard to be whatever you need… _

"…But it's never enough!" he screamed. Ryou didn't seem to notice. He alternated between lashing at Bakura and kicking any vulnerable spots, like his ribs or head.

He looked up, watching the hose swing back and come down. He reached up and grabbed it, yanking it out of Ryou's hand, pulling Ryou off-balance. Stunned for a moment, Ryou reached for it, but Bakura tossed it across the room.

"What the fuck are you doing, you asshole?" Ryou's foot came flying in to kick Bakura in the chest. Bakura grabbed it and pushed it backwards, making Ryou fall on his ass. Bakura grabbed Ryou's ankles and pulled himself up over his hikari's body, grabbing the other boy's collar.

"I'm sick of your shit!" Bakura punched Ryou across the face.

They grappled, and the room was filled with thuds and grunts as they fought. Ryou lowered his hand and chopped right at the cracks in Bakura's ribs, causing a sudden burst of pain. When Bakura's torso involuntarily curled in a pain response, Ryou shoved him away with his knee, then threw himself on top of his yami, interlacing his fingers and bringing both fists hammering down on Bakura's diaphragm. The air whooshed out of Bakura's lungs. He felt something, most likely Ryou's fist, bashing into his eye, and saw lights flashing under his eyelids.

It was over. Ryou had won.

Ryou was on top of him, straddling him, catching his breath. If circumstances had been different, Bakura would've been fiercely aroused by now. However, he had had enough, and, too dazed to even contemplate anything, was on the brink of passing out.

"Bakura?"

He couldn't answer.

"Wake up." Ryou's hand lightly slapped the side of Bakura's face. "Wake up, Bakura. Come on."

He would've responded, but he couldn't do a thing. He simply did not have the strength for it.

He felt Ryou's breath right above his face, felt the first hot tear fall on his eyelid.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bakura. I just got so angry! Why did you sleep with Malik? Why did you make me so angry?"

A harder slap. "Wake up now, Bakura! We have to take you to the emergency room to get patched up!"

He simply could not budge. He heard Ryou run off, then glass breaking in the back of the house. Things being thrown around— the sound was getting closer as Ryou returned. Ryou's feet stopped near Bakura, and there was beeping as he dialed a phone number.

"Yes, my house has been broken into and my brother is very badly hurt. We need an ambulance right away."

* * *

**chapter 13**

**master of puppets**

**finish**


	14. All Within My Hands

This is a 100% Jouno/Kaiba chapter for the Puppyshippers out there!

**Chapter 14: All Within My Hands**

* * *

There were papers scattered all around, falling, swirling like humongous snowflakes. Jouno could hear familiar laughter as he approached the human figure that stood in the dusky grayness of this strange void.

A light arose, a soft glow. The person before him—a young man with shaggy hair like Jouno's—had ignited a lighter. He was facing the other way, so Jouno couldn't see his face or make out the color of his hair.

"What is this place?"

He half-turned and smirked. "Oh. It's you."

Jouno gasped— the other man looked almost exactly like him.

_I see… I'm dreaming. This person symbolizes the dark spirit I haven't met yet. _

"Are you the other me?"

He belted out a hard laugh. "If that's what you want to believe, it don't matter to me."

"Tell me who you are. I need to know what's going on."

"No, you _think_ you need to know. Don't worry, okay? I'm taking care of it."

"What are you taking care of?"

He turned around to face Jouno then. His face, hair and body were identical to Jouno's, but his expression was somehow older. He smiled a calm, catlike smile, his eyes seeming to shimmer like a cat's eyes as they reflected the flame from the lighter in his hand.

"All you need to know is that I'm taking care of you. I'm very happy in your body "—he gave a soft snicker at his turn of phrase—"and I want this body to be happy and safe and free. So stop asking unnecessary questions. We'll take care of you."

"We'll?"

Not Jouno tossed the lighter to the ground and the papers lying on the ground went up in flames. The flames were spreading quickly, engulfing Jouno's doppelganger. All the doppelganger did was laugh harder. The last thing Jouno heard before he woke was Not Jouno calling out, "Better run!"

* * *

The morning was clear and bright out Mokuba's window. He gazed happily at the atrium below, where sunlight streamed through the foliage of the trees and ducks and geese swam in the man-made stream.

_This would be a great day to have a picnic_, he thought. He ran down the hall to Seto's study in his pajamas.

Seto was sitting sideways on the couch, his legs stretched out across the cushions, his ankles crossed, reading the Sunday paper. He looked unhappy, but no more unhappy than he usually did.

"Good morning, Big Brother."

He almost sorta smiled, his voice warmer than he would allow it to be when addressing anyone other than Mokuba. "Good morning, Mokuba."

He picked a large mug of coffee up off the coffee table, taking a sip, even though it had gone cold. He was always concerned about something, be it business or… business, but right now what weighed most heavily on his mind was that his spy had not returned from Pegasus's place, even though it was almost 10:00.

_He was probably made, and killed. Jouno might've figured him out and dispensed with him, but there's also a chance Pegasus did it. It's not like I can go knock on his door and say, "Excuse me, but I've misplaced one of my spies…"_

"Seto, let's go have a picnic in the atrium. We can feed the ducks. It'll be great."

He was back to skimming the newspaper, though his concentration was not very good right now. "If that's what you want, Mokie."

* * *

Jouno had stayed the night at Pegasus's, going over the game again and again. Pegasus's suggestions had given Jouno lots of great ideas to make the game even better. He raced to Schroeder Corp, eager to update the game code.

The security guard was surprised to see him. "You do know it's Sunday, neh, Mr. Wheeler? Even Herr Schroeder is not here."

"The work's callin'."

He sat down and initiated the system, which he had gotten the hang of and could now do with minimal frustration.

He waited for the desktop, hoping and praying that the computer wouldn't freeze at any point, since there didn't seem to be anyone around capable of helping him if that happened.

He brought out the steno pad he'd scribbled his ideas on and plugged in the flash drive, which at this point was his most valued possession.

_Duelist World, Duelist Kingdom… Duelist Paradise… Yeah, that's a better title. _

He scratched out _Giga Grave_ and underneath it, wrote _Duelist Paradise_.

_This'll be great. A huge chunk of this hinged on whether or not Pegs would allow us to feature his Duel Monsters in the game. Now that he's consented, I don't have to go through the hassle of creating OCs (Original Characters). The game wouldn't have sold nearly as well… _Jouno smirked and rolled his eyes. _Don't get ahead of yourself. It's still in development. Just focus on the here and now. Make this game, make it incredible. _

"Right."

_Oh crap… was I just talking to myself? Was that my regular inner voice, or an auditory hallucination? _

_You're kidding, right? Stop being a paranoid freak and stop distracting yourself with worries about bein' crazy or not bein' crazy. What matters right now is creating something incredible, making your mark. Focus! _

"Yeah. Focus." He leaned over the keyboard, glanced at the first scribbles on his steno pad, and started keying it in.

* * *

The atrium was completely enclosed and climate controlled, but through the glass panels enclosing the area, Mokuba could see the trees whipping about in the brisk wind that was swooping about outside.

They had a breakfast picnic on a patio balcony overlooking the atrium, so the ducks and geese wouldn't attack and steal their food.

Mokuba was more giddy than usual, and Kaiba knew why—Mokie's birthday was coming up. He wasn't the sort to expect extravagant gifts, since Seto made sure he never wanted for anything. What excited Mokuba most about his birthday was wondering what Seto would do for him. Last year, they had spent the day watching movies together, just the two of them. Seto had even left his phone in its base, in another wing of the house, with its ringer turned off.

Seto grinned across the picnic spread at Mokuba. He'd arranged this year's gift—he'd bought a beach house. That wasn't the gift—the gift was that they'd be spending a long weekend there together, starting on Mokie's birthday.

Seto gazed at Mokuba. _That may be what I love most about you, Little Brother… you want from me what no one else does. _

* * *

The ducks and geese swarmed around Seto and Mokuba once they realized the brothers had bread to share. Mokuba got Seto to start tossing bits of bread along with him. Seto was not really into it—he was kind of annoyed by all the quacking and honking. Each time he tossed some bread, it was readily scooped up by several birds swiping at it at the same time, then looking up expectantly at him. Seto would not admit that it was cute.

"Ha ha! Look at this one, Seto! He's wagging his tail!"

Seto looked over at the goose Mokuba was with. It was an ugly little bugger, with a twisted beak and mottled plumage.

"Okay, watch!" Mokuba tossed a bit of bread at the goose's feet. The goose gobbled it up, then looked up at Mokuba, waggling its tail cutely. "Ha-ha! See? Just like a dog!"

The corners of Seto's mouth perked. "Yeah, that's pretty cute."

* * *

Jouno was surprised at how quickly the day passed—it was already past 5, and he'd started at 9am. He felt his mental energy waning, and decided to call it a day before his work started to suffer.

As he shut the system down and packed his stuff, his stomach began to growl furiously, his appetite suddenly making itself known. He went from the genius game designer to the hungry mutt in seconds.

Leaving his office, he became aware of how dead the place was. There were no lights on. It was near sundown—the bright orange sunlight was streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting everything an eerie sick shade of crimson. The shadows everywhere were long and dark.

"Damn, this place is creepy!" he said, trying to dispel his creeped-out feeling by making a little noise. He walked faster and faster in the direction of the front check-in point, feeling more and more like if he stopped or turned around, something unpleasant would be there, waiting to pounce on him.

Alone in back of the company car, Jouno found his mind wandering to the dream he'd had during a brief nap early in the morning.

_I finally got to meet my yami. He didn't seem to bear me any ill will, but still, there was a sinister air about him. And why did he say, "We'll take care of you?" Is it possible to have more than one yami? I should ask Yugi and Yami about this. No, can't bother them with all this fucked up shit. Maybe I should ask Ryou… of course, the last time I asked for his help, we ended up jumping into bed. _

He smiled, then sighed. _Great, now I'm horny again. Well, I did miss out on fucking Ryou last night—it makes sense that I'm a little backed up. _

He dialed Ryou's number, but got his voice mail. He hung up without leaving a message, figuring Ryou would call him at his next convenience. He looked at his hand.

"At least I've got you, Sweetie."

By the time he got home, he was more sleepy than hungry or horny. He came in, closing and locking his door, emptying his pockets and hanging up his long coat. Despite how he felt, he could not resist checking his e-mail. The WebTV Serenity had given him was obsolete now, replaced with a sleek new notebook computer, which sat open on his kitchen counter, the only piece of furniture in the place that could act as a desk. It was in sleep mode—all Jouno had to do to activate it was tap on the touchpad.

He did that, then went into the fridge to grab something to eat, his sleepiness fading away again.

He saw wieners, but wasn't in the mood to cook, so he grabbed a slice of cheese, unpeeled it, and tucked one of its corners into his mouth, letting the rest dangle out of his face. He gnawed on it, pulling it into his mouth a little at a time as he sat on a stool in front of his computer.

He had a handful of new e-mails, most of which were automatic mailings from the likes of You Tube, My Space, Ok Cupid, etc. There was only one personal e-mail in the box.

Jouno wilted when he saw who it was from. _Great, he's probably gonna give me shit about what happened at the hospital. Might as well read it and see what he has to say. _

E-mail message

From: GoldenEyes

To: GoldenPuppy

Subject: Insert witty tagline here

I don't know if you're aware of this, but WrenChan just closed down. Sucks, right? Fortunately, I found another site that's even better. It's called 13chan, and it's got everything you could possibly want!

They have boards dedicated to loli, shota, futanari, bukkake (Yuck!), bestiality, yaoi, yuri, too many things to name here. Are you still into loli? I'm kinda over that, though I still look once in a while. What I'm really into now is shota. They have Shota and Straight Shota. The straight board is creepy, but not as creepy as their Guro board! It's not like WrenChan's board—instead of drawings, they have photos of actual corpses—murder victims, accidents, it's really graphic. If you go there, don't do it while you're eating.

Anyway, just thought I'd let you know about the new site. Keep in touch, ne?

_I guess he believed me when I denied being GoldenPuppy. _Jouno sighed relief. He reread it, and swallowed.

_I should close this. The last thing I need to see right now is disturbing shit like that. _

He went to the fridge and got some soda, chugging it down, drinking too fast and making his stomach hurt. He had cheese breath now, so he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He took off his over shirt and pants, coming out in a wife beater and boxers and nothing else. The e-mail was still there. He stared at it for a few seconds.

_I shouldn't look at that stuff. It's barely legal. It'll fuck with my mind. Remember what happened last time. _

_But if I don't go check it out, I won't be able to stop thinking about it, wondering what it's like. If I get obsessed with it, I won't be able to work and the game will never be finished. _

_All I have to do is click on "delete" and it'll be over. Just move your finger on the touchpad, highlight that little delete button, and that'll be that. The option of visiting 13chan will be gone and I can move on with my life. _

After a really long time, he did it, quickly before he could change his mind. The e-mail and the link disappeared. This e-mail account had no trash bin—once you deleted something, it was just plain gone.

Jouno sighed relief. _Crisis averted. Now I'll get some dinner. _

_

* * *

_

Ryou had not called. Jouno had been hoping for a date tonight. He was starting to really feel the emptiness of the apartment. The stereo was blasting to keep his mind from wandering in bad directions. There was nothing to do right now—he'd keyed in everything he could think of for the game, he'd watched all the DVD's he'd bought, and beaten all the video games. He was slouching into the couch, staring at his flat screen TV, which was on a muted sitcom with the closed captioning on. He wasn't really interested in it, but his eyes were glued to the screen.

_What am I doing just sitting here, wasting time? There's nothing to do… Well, actually, there are things I should be doing, but I'm not in the mood to do them. I can't get it out of my mind… _

He flipped open his cell phone and made sure it wasn't on mute for the tenth time. Ryou was not calling—there would be no Ryou tonight.

_Okay, think… what do you want to do tonight? What is it that you want to do more than anything else in the world?_

The answer came quickly and simply: _Fuck Kaiba. _

_I want to fuck Seto Kaiba. _

_I wonder what he's doing right now. _

He looked at his phone and contemplated calling Kaiba.

_What would I say? Should I just call and ask if I can come over?_

He suddenly remembered Kaiba tossing him out, like a piece of trash, yelling at him like a freak.

_He's such an ass, and a spaz… but I'm still attracted to him. _

_I was so close to him on those stairs… I should've just grabbed him and kissed him. I shouldn't have let him get away. _

Jouno brought his feet up onto the couch, squirming around, eyes closed. The thought of Kaiba and how close they were on those stairs was doing something to him.

His hands went up his wife beater, under his waist band, sliding under the elastic and causing the open fly to yaw apart. His hot palms traveled over his skin as he imagined that they were Seto Kaiba's large, slim, pale hands. He pulled off his shirt, tossing it aside, following that with his boxers. Laying there naked, he caressed every inch of his skin except his growing erection, which his fingers danced around until he was on the edge. When he felt like he couldn't take anymore, he cupped his palm over the weeping head, his hand sliding on the pre-cum. Eyes closed, he fantasized that his hand was Seto's mouth shyly fellating him. Moaning uncontrollably, he held back, going until he was about to cum, then backing off, enjoying the ebb and flow of ecstasy until he went over the edge and burst, gasping and crying, shivering and sighing, then laughing softly to himself, eyes closed, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"I have to work, now, Mokuba. You can stay here and watch TV if you want, but don't make too much noise."

"Okay, Big Brother." Mokuba saluted him, then ran over to grab the remote off of the coffee table. Seto thought it was a strange but cute thing to do.

He sat at his computer and started typing. He'd put the missing spy and Paoma Wong's attack out of his mind thanks to the day he'd spent with Mokuba. Right now he was going to focus on getting some work done. Things were going well until the door opened and Roland came in. his grim expression was readable even through his jet black sunglasses.

Mokuba looked up at him, curious. Kaiba didn't stop typing. "What is it, Roland?"

"The police are dropping the Wong case."

"What?" Kaiba stopped typing, swung his chair around, and stood, taking a few steps toward Roland. "Why would they do that?"

"There was apparently some sort of incident. All the evidence was burned up."

"Arson?"

Roland shook his head. "Every scrap of evidence the CSI people had collected burned up at some point last night, but there's no sign that anyone broke in, and nothing around the items in question was burned. There are tiny bits of evidence that burned up, but didn't melt or singe the bags they were in, even though the seals on the bags are still intact. The police are stumped, so they're taking all but one of the detectives off the case."

"Why don't they return to Wong's office and collect more samples? There was certainly enough blood splattered all over the walls."

"The office burned, too. Sometime last night, and none of the offices around Wong's place are damaged in the least. All the evidence is gone. The case is dead and cold."

Kaiba frowned, thinking for a moment, then took his coat off the rack, wrapping it around himself. "Mokuba, I'm going out. Stay here with Roland."

**chapter 14**

**all within my hands**

**finish**

* * *

I wonder what'll happen next…?


	15. Battery

KT: Does anyone watch Smallville? There's this character on that show named Emil Hamilton, a scientist/doctor sorta guy played by Alessandro Juliani, L's English voice actor! His voice is so sexy, so I gave him a cameo!

+*+*+*+*+

**Chapter 15: Battery**

+*+*+*+*+

The nurse came in and watched Paoma for a few seconds before Wong said, "I'm awake. What is it?"

"Someone's here to see you, Dr. Wong. A Dr. Hamilton, says he knows you?"

Paoma sat up. "Send him in."

A very handsome man came in—his wavy hair in a neat, trim style, his skin a natural olive tone, his dark brown eyes focused on Dr. Wong. "Paoma."

"Emil, I'm very surprised to see you in Japan."

He entered and came to her bedside. "… The truth is, I've been paying someone to keep an eye on you…"

"Why do you insist on invading my privacy?"

"I was worried about you, okay?" His voice came out louder than he'd meant it to. "I'm sorry, Paoma, but you treat some of the most disturbed people in the civilized world. You work closely with them and don't take any precautions, it's probably the only stupid thing you've ever done."

"This is the only time a patient's ever attacked me."

Dr. Hamilton looked at her sideways.

"This is the only time a patient attack has resulted in hospitalization", she corrected herself.

"I hate what you do for a living."

"Are you my wife? Did I miss the ceremony?"

"Never mind that." Hamilton was pulling a notebook computer out of his satchel. He set it on the overbed table and rolled the table to Paoma's lap.

"I've got something you need to see."

Hamilton did some quick typing and Paoma found herself staring at surveillance footage. She instantly recognized the stairwell of her office building.

"You bugged my office building?"

"We'll discuss the ethical implications later. Look."

A human form came up the stairs. Paoma recognized the shaggy blonde hair immediately.

"So he's the one who attacked me… I still don't remember, but I'm not surprised."

"You recognize him?"

Paoma nodded. "He's one of my patients. I should've realized how close to the edge he was…" She rubbed her forehead. "He needs to be committed."

"I can take care of that."

"Thanks, Emil. We have to get that boy somewhere safe before he hurts himself."

"Or attacks anyone else, the fucking nut job."

+*+*+*+*+

Jouno woke, still feeling wonderful. The orgasm had been a thing of pure ecstasy, better than any he'd had recently. He felt the relaxation in his limbs and his heart was giddy and there was a foolish little grin on his face. He picked up his phone and checked it. Ryou hadn't called back.

_Maybe he's still pissed about last night… Trying to teach me a lesson… _

He scoffed. _If that's the way he wants to play it, I ain't gonna get all torn up about it. We're just fuck buddies anyway. _

He felt sticky and hot. He could smell his BO. He stood and stretched, his lean, lithe nude body outlined in the moonlight streaming through the windows. He realized that anyone in the building across the way would be able to see him, but didn't really care. He went to the kitchen and got some cold water out of the fridge, drinking it leisurely, then strolled off to the bath.

+*+*+*+*+

"Bakura has a lot of bruises, lacerations, and a couple of broken ribs, but there is evidence of older injuries, some healed, and some that hadn't had a chance to heal…"

Ryou listened attentively, trying not to get angry and go into denial, bracing for the accusation he knew was on the doctor's tongue.

"Mr. Bakura, is your brother in some sort of trouble?"

Ryou made a conscious effort not to smirk. _He must think Bakura's involved in some sort of criminal activity to get so banged up… Well, there is some truth to that… _

Ryou glanced downwards, his brow creased with worry. "The truth is that my brother… well, he's just a very argumentative person. He goes out all the time, sometimes staying away for days, and I never know what he's doing… He comes home banged up, and I can only guess that he gets into brawls at drinking establishments."

"Ryou…" the doctor put a hand on Ryou's shoulder and looked down into the boy's eyes. "Does your brother abuse drugs or alcohol?"

Ryou feigned shock, then hesitated for a 5-count. "I don't… I really don't think he's the type. I've never seen him do anything like that."

"Still, I'm going to order a tox-screen."

_Shit, how much is that going to cost?_ "If that's what you think is best, Doctor."

"If there's anything you want to talk about, please feel free to call." The doctor gave Ryou his business card, offering him a friendly smile. For a moment that smile seemed to mask a certain vibe, but Ryou wasn't sure and couldn't risk any embarrassing situations right now. He smiled and nodded, and went back into Bakura's room.

+*+*+*+*+

Wong's office was destroyed. Everything—the walls, the furniture, the ceiling—looked like the aftermath of an inferno. Everything was charred and discolored in varying shades of gray. Most of it looked like it would fall apart in a flurry of ash if anyone tried to touch it.

Kaiba was astonished at how perfect the damage was. He'd been inside each of the neighboring offices, and they were in pristine condition, yet somehow the fires of hell had been summoned to this one space.

"It has to have been arson, by someone who knew what they were doing."

"A professional?" wondered the detective who was standing at the other end of the room. His voice was muffled by the handkerchief he had over the lower half of his face.

"We should collect samples and determine how the fire was made."

"Yeah. Good idea. I'll go down to the van and get my kit."

The detective tiptoed through the wreckage, all the time keeping the handkerchief clamped over his face.

Kaiba sighed. _This guy doesn't know what he's doing._

His phone rang. "Roland? Is something wrong?"

"No Sir, Mokuba's right here and he's fine. I just got word that they're about to make an arrest in the Wong case. It turned out to be one of her patients, as you suspected."

"Who was it?"

+*+*+*+*+

Bakura could feel the sponge gliding over his body, and the coldness as the air hit his wet skin.

"I'm sorry things turned out this way, Bakura. How many times have I had to bring you here… I'm so sorry. I can't say that enough."

Ryou was sitting on the bed beside Bakura, dipping the sponge again and again into a small blue basin. It felt so good, being bathed by Ryou.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bakura, ever again. It would be such a shame to damage this beautiful body…" Ryou's hand drifted a little too low, causing a reaction and a sigh from Bakura's lips.

He moved a little, arching his back from the pleasurable sensation, and his whole body tingled. He recognized the feeling and instantly realized that he was dreaming, and had just come close to waking himself up.

_No… I don't want to wake up from this… And since this is a dream, I'll make the most of it…_

Bakura reached up and ran his fingers through Ryou's hair, then let his fingertips trail down the front of Ryou's chest. He didn't know whether or not Ryou had been nude this whole time, but it didn't matter. He was just going to enjoy this dream and do what he couldn't do in real life.

"Ryou, I want to make love to you."

Without a word, Ryou complied, straddling him and kissing him deeply. Bakura could feel everything—the warmth of Ryou's body, Ryou's tongue as they kissed, and every bolt of pleasure that shot up his spine as Ryou rocked his hips against him.

"Ryou… Ryou… You feel so good… I want to be closer to you…"

Bakura felt warmth around himself and knew that he and Ryou were now one. Ryou was moving over him and he felt it. He could feel his body moving in a frenzy, treasuring everything about this, scared of waking himself up before he could cum.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

The detective came back as Kaiba was leaving. "Where are you going, Kaiba San?"

"There's been a break in the case. They're making an arrest."

"Oh, that's great." Then the detective started going back too. Kaiba stopped, and the detective stopped. They stood staring at each other for a few long seconds.

Finally Kaiba said, "Aren't you going to stay here and collect the samples?"

"But they're already making an arrest…"

"Yes, and they'll need evidence to convict."

The detective's mouth twitched— Kaiba could almost hear him saying, _Aw, man!_ – and then the detective turned and went into the office.

+*+*+*+*+

As Ryou entered the room, he heard Bakura panting for breath and, becoming alarmed, he ran across the room and tore the curtain open to look at Bakura's bed.

Bakura was asleep, but he was moving around, his brow furrowed, his breathing heavy.

_Is he having a bad dream?_ Ryou wondered.

He was squirming, arching his back, his feet kicking, his arms over his head gripping the pillow.

_I'm surprised he hasn't woken himself up already. He seems so agitated. Maybe I should wake him up—_

A husky whisper: "Ryou."

Without thinking, Ryou blurted, "Bakura?"

"Ryou… You feel so good… I want to be closer to you…"

It was then that Ryou recognized the carnal nature of Bakura's motions, most specifically the muted but still obvious thrusts of Bakura's hips. There was a bulge there.

Ryou looked closely at Bakura's face. The thief was asleep, his face bruised, his lip busted, gauze wrapped around his head, neck, and various other parts of his body.

Ryou took a couple of steps backwards, his mouth hanging open, his throat dry. _What is this vulgar display!? Why is he humping the air while calling my name? Disgusting! _

Ryou jumped when he backed into the curtain, pivoting wildly around and fighting with it for a second before realizing what it was. He went through the curtain and closed it, then went through the door into the corridor and closed that, then sat against it, hugging his knees, scrubbing his face with his hands.

The only thought going through Ryou's mind was:

_He's not supposed to be like that… He's not supposed to be like that… _

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Jouno lay in bed, gazing at the ceiling. He had a few new thoughts floating around in his head, and was contemplating making the journey to the computer to type them out. However, he was feeling very lazy at the moment.

It was evening—the sun had set, and the apartment was dimly lit. Jouno was certain that there was nothing in the dark, and even if there was, he was certain that it couldn't hurt him. He hadn't kept up with his meds at all—he couldn't remember if he'd kept up with his meds before Wong's attack—but it didn't matter because he enjoyed this sense of clarity, ambition, and power his new job at Schroeder Corp had given him.

He was not sure what to do. One option was to go work some more on the game. Though it would go faster on the bigger computers at work, his sleek new notebook computer (or was it a laptop? He didn't know the difference) was suitable for jotting down a few notes, pen and paper be damned. The other option was to masturbate again.

_I've sure been masturbating a lot lately. _He chuckled to himself. _It's been so good…_

His hand slid down and started rubbing the crotch of his boxer shorts. It was perfectly pleasant. He closed his eyes, sighing and moaning softly.

He let his mind drift from fantasy to fantasy, going every which way.

_Burying my face in Mai's tits…_

_Making out with Kaiba…_

_Lesbians kissing passionately…_

_Kaiba fucking me hard…_

_Kaiba sucking my dick…_

_Kissing Mokuba…_

Jouno opened his eyes, but didn't stop rubbing. His arousal had swelled quite a bit by now and was past the point of return. He blinked at the ceiling, at the glowing square of light that streamed through the window.

_I've never kissed Mokuba. He's too young for me. _

Still, he found himself excited by the thought and went with it, weaving a fantasy about seducing Mokuba and having passionate sex with him, imagining how it would feel to pound that tight little ass. He came and kept going, and came again.

He wanted to keep going even then, and he probably would have if the doorbell had not rung.

The first thought in his head was _I hope that it's Kaiba. _

He jumped out of bed, calling out, "I'll be right there!"

He charged into the bathroom and washed his hands, then strode down the short hallway into the living room, past the kitchen and the island where the computer sat, all the while cinching his bathrobe up. "I'm coming!"

He chuckled at his double entendre before he opened the door.

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

The TV was on, its glow the brightest light source in the quiet hospital room. It was a late night talk show and the host was chatting with some starlet. They were both saying goofy things to delight the audience.

Bakura found their voices annoying. He was wide awake, even though it had to be the middle of the night judging from the jet-black sky outside and the quietness of the halls and rooms surrounding him.

Upon waking, Bakura had dwelt on his dream, reliving it in his mind again and again, trying to burn it into his memory since he wasn't sure he'd ever have such a dream again.

After that faded, he found his thoughts wandering over to his current situation. He thought about Ryou and his feelings for his precious light.

Bakura frowned. _He's being so annoying these days. All he does is argue with me, contradict me and bully me. It used to be fun when he hit me—a little bit of pain and then all that love and tenderness. But now when he hits me it feels like he hates me. I feel it in everything he says and does. _

"He hates me." Bakura broke into silent sobs, his body and bed shaking as tears streamed down his face.

The voice came from the outside of the curtain. "Bakura?"

Ryou slowly drew the curtains. Bakura stopped crying, wiping his face.

"Why are you crying, Bakura?"

He sniffed and wiped his face, blinking at Ryou, not sure what to say.

"Did you think you were alone?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry I scared you. I just went to the machine down the hall for a soda." Ryou held up the soda can to illustrate this.

Bakura's eyes widened. _Did he hear me say 'he hates me'?_

Ryou pulled up a chair, sitting in it and resting his elbows on the bed, smiling at Bakura. "You slept the whole day away. Do you feel better?"

_Better? Compared to what?_

"Yeah."

"The doctor thinks it's best if you stay here for a few days so they can keep an eye on you, but you're pretty much okay."

_Hard to believe after the intensity of that battle. _Bakura nodded to indicate that he understood.

Ryou gazed at Bakura and couldn't stop thinking about the sleazy things his yami had done lately—_kissing Mariku, having sex with Malik, having dream sex with my name on his lips... _

However, the anger didn't flare up again—they were in the post-battle stage, both too exhausted and resigned to really give a shit about anything.

_Something should've changed after a fight like that. But here he is, sitting at my bedside, calmly regarding me with that unreadable expression that never fails to make me uncomfortable. After this hospital stay, am I really going to go back to his house and continue to live with him like everything's alright?_

"Bakura, do you want to go back to sleep? I can leave you alone…"

"Stay with me."

Ryou moved the chair so he could sit and watch TV with Bakura. "What're you watching?"

"Nothing. You can change it if you want to."

"Okay." Ryou picked up the remote. "Let's see what's on."

Bakura looked at Ryou's profile, his delicate features, his calm, casual aura. Bakura could feel the total lack of tension on Ryou's part.

Seeing this, Bakura couldn't help but flash back to the other Ryou who'd stood over him screaming _I hate you_ over and over again.

_This pleasant persona is a lie. How can he sit here and act like we're okay and he never said those things?_

At that moment, Bakura decided he wanted to hurt Ryou. Somehow, some way, he would hurt Ryou.

Ryou felt Bakura's gaze and turned towards him, a gentle grin on his lips.

Bakura moved back a little, lifting the covers and inviting Ryou to lay with him as they'd done in the past.

Ryou remembered Bakura writhing and moaning in that bed and wondered how clean it was.

"Um, Bakura, did the nurses bathe you today? Because if they didn't, I could give you a quick sponge bath."

Bakura used all his willpower not to seem the least bit happy or eager as he said, "I'd appreciate that."

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

"Yugi! YUGI! Get down here! Hurry, Joey's being arrested!"

Yugi and Yami came bolting down the stairs to the living room where Grandpa sat watching the news-flash on TV.

"What? Joey? That's impossible!"

Grandpa pointed at the screen. "See? There he is, being taken in by the cops."

Yugi and Yami stood staring at the news footage—he had his head down, his blonde hair being whipped about by the wind as he was led into a building.

Grandpa explained, "He's been arrested for attacking some psychiatrist, Wong, I think."

"I can't believe this", said Yugi.

Yami frowned at the screen. "No… that's not Joey. Look closer!"

All three men leaned in towards the TV, peering at the footage, waiting for the boy to lift his head just a little so they could see his face.

When he finally did, they simultaneously jumped back, letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Yugi. "I knew Joey could never do anything like that!"

Grandpa was a little embarrassed. "Sorry I scared you boys. They didn't say his name, but it looked so much like him…"

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Even though he'd wanted it to be him, Jouno was still visibly and audibly stunned when he opened his door to find Seto Kaiba standing there.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he blurted out incredulously, stepping back and aside so Kaiba could come in.

He took a few steps into the small apartment, stopped and stood silent for a few long seconds.

"… Seto?"

"They caught the guy who tried to kill Dr. Wong."

Jouno closed the door and locked it—not to keep Kaiba in or anything sinister, simply force of habit. "Yeah? Cool."

Kaiba slowly turned around and looked at him. In the dim light, Jouno couldn't discern the blue of his eyes.

"I'm sorry I thought it was you."

Jouno smiled immediately, his muscles spreading into a silly grin that took over his face. He felt on the verge of laughing with joy that Seto was here, and talking to him, and even saying nice things!

And in the back of his mind, there was this tiny dark voice:

_I can't believe I fooled 'um. _

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

It was like he'd dreamed, almost. Ryou was being very kind and patient as he dipped the sponge in and ran it over Bakura's pale, bruised skin. The bandages had been removed and Bakura was nude, his only covering a bed sheet swathed around his privates.

Bakura fought to keep his breathing slow, which had the opposite effect—he was trying to take in less air than he needed, so he was starting to pant. He was chomping on his lip to keep from moaning or saying anything stupid that might bring this to an abrupt end.

"Are you okay Bakura? Does it feel good?"

"It's fine."

_Please don't stop and please don't look at my face._ _Please don't do anything stupid like get hard in front of him! I wish I could get hard, right now. I wish he'd know how he makes me feel and want to do something about it…_

"You're really tense. Your shoulders are like marble."

Without a word, Ryou started massaging Bakura's shoulders and a tingling sensation went up from that area through Bakura's head, making him giddy. A moan slipped from the thief's lips.

"You don't need to be so tense about this. It's just a bath. You've washed my back plenty of times; now I'm repaying the favor."

They were facing each other as Ryou continued to rub and knead Bakura's neck/shoulder area. After a long time, Bakura screwed up the courage to lift his head and open his eyes, and look at Ryou.

In the dim light, Ryou's eyes took on that dark, stony look that accompanied his unsettling blank expression. However, Bakura could see how relaxed Ryou's facial muscles were—the smooth brow, the slightly perked mouth, almost a grin. Ryou's serene expression filled Bakura with a feeling of peace and again he sensed that connection to his hikari that filled him with longing and affection for Ryou.

"Ryou…" Bakura reached for him, trying with every gesture, glance, muscle twitch, and vibe to make his intention clear.

Ryou understood, and opened his arms to accept Bakura's embrace. They hugged for a long time, feeling each other's warmth.

"I'm so sorry, BakuChan. I didn't mean those things I said. You're my best friend, my other half. I love you."

He'd said it before and Bakura's only reaction was desire to hear it again and again. He knew Ryou didn't mean the kind of love Bakura wanted, but he was more than willing to accept what he could get.

"… I love you too."

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

**chapter 15**

**battery**

**finish**


	16. Turn the Page

**KT: **Sorry this chapter took so long to post. I've been drawing more, now that I've figured out how to post on DeviantArt (dot) com. This story's getting long-- I don't want another behemoth like _Baku, Ra, to Ringu_, so I'm going to try to wrap this story up in 5-10 chapters. Besides, I do plan to write a sequel.

There's no Jouno/Kaiba stuff this chapter, unfortunately. I'll try to write another Jouno-centric chapter soon.

**Chapter 16: Turn the Page**

* * *

Mid-morning—the house was empty, quiet, and hot. Ryou stood in the foyer, half-assessing the damage to the house and wondering how much the insurance company would pay, half-contemplating the air conditioner.

_I wasn't planning to stay long—just grab an outfit for Bakura, then head back. On the other hand, maybe I should straighten this place up. The police already took their pictures and statements. _

"Besides…" Ryou sighed, having caught himself thinking aloud. _It's easier being away from him. I've gotten so good at acting like everything's alright, but I keep dying inside. I hate this. But I don't know what to do. _

Walking through the living room, he saw dried blood spatters on the floor. He stopped and stared at Bakura's blood, transfixed by the familiarity of the sight.

_The smacking of fists into flesh—bodies slamming into the floor, jets of blood issuing forth… I wish things could be that simple again. Maybe I shouldn't have come back. _

He decided to call Jouno, the only person he felt at ease around lately. There was no answer, but Ryou saw on the caller ID that Jouno had tried to call him quite a few times the night before.

_Great. He's pissed that I didn't answer, so he's gonna ignore me for a while. _He left a message explaining that Bakura had been injured and was in the hospital, then hung up.

He turned on the air conditioning, then started straightening up. After the place was clean, he would take a bath and head back to the hospital.

* * *

The two Egyptian teens were together in bed, limbs entangled, laughing and play-fighting.

Mariku had Malik around the waist as Malik pulled away towards the nightstand. He started tickling Malik's ribs, making him laugh and curl up.

"Knock it off." Malik grabbed his phone off of the nightstand.

"Don't be too eager. This band thing'll probably be fun, and you know Bakura avoids fun at all costs."

"I gotta talk to him. I miss his sexy voice." He started dialing.

Mariku curled up in the sheets and lay on his side, watching Malik's expectant face as he listened to the ringing.

His smile relaxed and his eyes lost their happiness. He closed the phone and put it back on the nightstand.

"He didn't answer."

"He's probably still asleep."

"I guess…"

* * *

It took longer than he thought it would. He was dripping sweat as he hauled the second garbage bag full of trash that used to be furniture to the curb. He didn't care if it sat for a few days before pickup—he didn't see the point of dragging the bags to the side of the house only to drag them back to the curb later.

Back inside, the place looked a lot emptier thanks to all the missing furniture.

_I'm not buying more furniture. It's a waste of money. No one ever visits anyway. We don't need extra places to sit. _

All he could hear was the air conditioning. Ryou found himself bothered by how lonely the place felt. His throat felt tight and he felt uneasy despite the years he'd spent living at that house all alone.

_No Bakura. No father. No mother. No Amane. _He felt himself on the verge of tears.

_What would she think of me if she could see me today—?_

He jolted when there was sudden knocking at the door. He climbed onto the couch, which was now missing a cushion, and peeked through the curtains.

Malik and Mariku were on the porch.

_Shit, it's them. I'm so glad they didn't show up when I was taking the trash out… _

They waited a few seconds, then knocked again.

Ryou kind of wanted to open the door and talk to them. He didn't want to be alone anymore, but while being with others did appeal to him in some ways, in other ways it seemed worse than loneliness.

_Malik still looks good… _

Leaning back, he reclined against the large, overstuffed armrest, unfocused gaze on the ceiling, hugging himself, waiting them out.

* * *

Bakura was lying in bed, eyes closed. He was tired, but couldn't fall asleep and found that just lying there with his eyes closed was somehow rejuvenating. He was waiting for Ryou to come back with some clothing he could wear home.

They didn't know when Bakura would be discharged, but Ryou had said there was no point in waiting until the last minute, and when the doctor said it was okay for him to come home, it would be best if Bakura had something to throw on right away.

Bakura couldn't help but wonder if maybe the truth was that Ryou wanted to get away from Bakura for a while. He told himself it was pointless to ruminate on such things, and that he should just accept it when Ryou professed to love him.

_This relationship is poisonous and imbalanced. He doesn't really love me. He might consider me some sort of consolation family or default soul mate, but if he were given the choice, he'd most likely choose to never have met me at all. _

He was close to falling asleep.

_I wish I could go back to the way I was before we were separated… I cared about him, but only as a vessel for my soul. Maybe if we went back to sharing a single body, my feelings for him would fade, or shift back to 'protector' status. _

He remembered the vow he, Yami, and Mariku had taken after they had gotten their own bodies: they vowed to never harm their hikari-tachi—to be with them always, their protectors and best friends.

_Things went well for Mariku and Yami… _

_I could leave. I could disappear…_

_But what would happen after I'm gone? Most of the time he treats me like shit or ignores me. But every so often he gets into this weird mode and can't stop telling me how much I mean to him and how lonely he'd be without me. _

_I'm all he's got. I can't leave him alone, no matter how miserable he makes me. Just have to live through this hell…_

* * *

Bakura dreamed he was begging Ryou to make love to him, and Ryou kept telling him he was disgusting. In the dream, Bakura grew sick of being called disgusting, so he stabbed Ryou with the golden blade concealed in the Millennium Rod. Every time Ryou screamed in pain, Bakura was filled with delight.

* * *

The large office was illuminated by the mid-day sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the large desk. Seated at that desk was the president of N.G. records, Tohma Seguchi. He was reading from a beaten-up old notebook. Written on the front was:

_Poetry and Prose by the Thief-King Bakura._

_If you read this, Yami, I'll kill you._

Ryuichi Sakuma had his face and Kumagoro's face pressed against the windows. "Ooh, look at that, Mr. Bear! A geisha! Ooh, a sushi restaurant! I love sushi! We should have that for dinner tonight!"

Tohma closed the notebook. "Ryuichi."

He kept his face against the glass, but Kumagoro turned and wiggled emphatically.

Tohma was used to Ryuichi's antics after all the time they'd known each other, so didn't bat an eye. "I believe you've made a good discovery here."

Ryuichi turned around, a big smile on his child-like face. "So you'll sign him?"

"I'd like to meet him first, along with his band mates."

"Alright!" Ryuichi held Kumagoro over his head and spun the little pink bunny around. "They'll be so excited!"

* * *

Malik and Mariku were waiting as Yugi, Yami, and Anzu came out of the school building. There were not many other students, as the class they'd been attending was a voluntary summer class.

They all greeted each other warmly.

"Malik, hi!" said Yugi. "What are you doing here?"

Anzu said, "We were going to invite Honda, Duke, and Serenity to a movie tonight if you'd like to join us."

"Thanks, Anzu, but the truth is, we're worried about Bakura."

They walked in the direction of the Game Shop, the pack led by Yami and Malik, who were walking side-by-side as they spoke.

"Ryou's trying to keep us away from Bakura. We tried to visit them earlier and there was no answer."

Mariku growled, "They could be dead for all we know."

Anzu quickly said, "You shouldn't think that way."

Malik snorted. "I don't know what the hell Ryou's problem is. We were dating for a while, and I cared so much about him, but when we broke up, he changed. He seems so cold and uptight these days."

"Really?" said Yugi. "I haven't noticed anything."

"Me neither", said Anzu. "Hey, why don't we swing by their house and see if they want to come to the movie too?"

"That's a good idea", said Yami. "I can talk to Bakura. Maybe he's having trouble keeping the vow."

"I've been worried about Ryou, too", said Yugi. "He's been missing class."

* * *

"Can Bakura come home yet?"

Bakura noticed the impatience in Ryou's voice. He would've liked to tell himself that Ryou was eager to have him home again, but he knew that his hikari's main concern was the hospital bill.

He could sense in the doctor's body language and voice tone that the answer would be yes. "I'll get the release forms ready."

"Thanks, Doctor."

As soon as the doctor was gone, Ryou unpacked the clothing he'd brought. "Let's get you dressed, Bakura."

* * *

"What now…?"

There was a group of people standing in front of Ryou's house as the cab drove up. Bakura recognized Yugi-tachi (Yugi, Yami, Anzu), plus Mariku and Malik. They all turned and looked into the cab as it approached, seeing them.

Ryou narrowed his eyes as a long, low breath hissed out of his nostrils. _What the fuck are they doing here? Now I have to be nice to them for god knows how long. _

While Ryou paid the driver, Bakura got out of the cab and walked over to the group of people, who were walking to meet him.

The first one to speak was Anzu. "Oh my gosh Bakura, what happened to you?"

Yugi frowned sympathetically at Bakura's bandaged face. "Are you okay, Bakura?"

"What are you people doing here?" It seemed like Bakura was trying to sound tough, but his demeanor was weary and his voice lacked power— all Yugi-tachi felt was pity for the poor injured yami.

Ryou walked up to join them. "Hi, Yugi, guys, what the heck are you all doing here?"

Yami stepped up and said, "Malik and Mariku were worried about you two."

Malik said, "We knocked and knocked, but there was no answer. Where were you?"

Mariku added, "And what happened to Bakura?"

"Robbery", said Bakura.

Ryou nodded. "That's right. Some men broke into the house. They were vicious and crazed." He leaned against Bakura, taking hold of his yami's hand. "Bakura saved my life."

"How many were there? You look _so _bad."

Bakura pursed his lips in Yugi's direction. _Thanks a lot, Ass. _

Mariku got _really _close to Bakura, inspecting his bandages. "Why didn't you just use your Shadow Magic, Dumb Ass?"

Ryou hooked his hand under Bakura's elbow. "I'm sorry, but Bakura is still recuperating, so I need to get him inside so he can rest."

"Okay", said Yugi, followed by nods and "Yeah"s from the rest of the gang. They parted so Ryou and Bakura could get to their front door. But instead of leaving, they stood watching expectantly as Ryou unlocked the door.

_Oh, great! They want to come in! They probably expect tea and cookies too, the lousy fuckers! _

Ryou unlocked the door, and once Bakura was inside, he turned and smiled at everyone. "Would you like to come in and have some tea and snacks?"

They immediately surged forward, nodding, smiling, thanking Ryou as they crossed the threshold.

* * *

Ryou tried to downplay his embarrassment as he announced that they didn't have any suitable snacks or tea in the house. He chuckled, "With all the excitement, I neglected to do the grocery shopping…"

"That's okay", said Yugi. "Why don't we go get some?"

Anzu said, "I know this wonderful Sweet Shoppe that sells fudge. You should try some, Ryou."

"It'll be my treat", said Yugi.

Yugi went over and hugged Yami. "I'll bring you some, okay, Yami?"

Yami nodded. "Thank you, Aibou."

"Do you have any preference?"

"Surprise me. I love when you bring me surprises."

Anzu came up to them. "I'll pick something out for you too, okay, Yami?"

"Thanks, Anzu."

Mariku got up to leave with them, but Malik gently pushed him back down into the chair. "You should stay here with Yami and Bakura. Have a meeting of yamis."

Once Yugi had led Ryou out onto the porch, he smiled at Ryou and whispered, "Maybe you could use a little time away from Bakura?"

Ryou was surprised that Yugi would say something like that. "I suppose…"

Yami closed the door after everyone else had left.

Mariku was back to very closely inspecting Bakura's bandages. "Are you really okay?"

"Yes. It's not as bad as it looks."

Without another word, Mariku started kissing all the bandages. Bakura started trembling with silent, self-conscious chuckles.

"Bakura."

They looked up at Yami, who stood cool and stern, arms crossed. Bakura felt from the pharaoh's air that he was about to be accused and/or interrogated.

"They're gone. Now you can tell us what really happened."

* * *

**chapter 16**

**turn the page**

**finish **

**KT: **Hope you enjoyed! I've decided to have a reader contest with a neat prize just in time for X-mas, so go check it out on my profile, okay? See ya!


	17. Chapter 17

KT: Yay, new chapter! Please review?

* * *

It was a cute shop—the employees wore Gothic Lolita uniforms, regardless of their gender. There was a girl and two boys, all three of them quite cute. One worked behind the counter while the other two waited on the people sitting at the tables. There was ice cream and homemade fudge, along with a large assortment of candy; some made in-store, some from faraway lands.

The tables were round and tiny, so they had to sit rather closely. Yugi sat next to Anzu, and Ryou was stuck with Malik on one side. Ryou couldn't help but feel a bit of unease at Malik's gaze.

Yugi was asking what Anzu was in the mood for today. Ryou snapped out of his daze when Yugi asked him if he knew what he wanted.

"I've never been here before."

"Really? Then you should come up and see what they've got for yourself. It's a really great selection with all sorts of strange and delicious candies from foreign countries around the world."

Ryou was startled when Yugi took him by the hand, pulling him out of his seat, and led him to the counter.

Everything was beautiful, but Ryou let out a small whimper when he saw the prices.

"Don't worry, Ryou. It's my treat, remember?"

"Oh. Thank you, Yugi." Ryou's face warmed. He felt very happy that Yugi-tachi were being nice to him, but deep down he knew that any wrong move he made could malign them against him.

_And even if I'm on my best behavior, this day will end and they'll go back to barely acknowledging my existence. I should just enjoy this while I can._

* * *

"Some men broke into the house and attacked Ryou. I stepped in and fought them off."

Mariku eyed Bakura's injuries. "How many were there, a hundred?"

Yami smiled at Bakura. "You did a noble thing, defending your hikari. You upheld our vow."

"Yeah," said Mariku, "But you could've saved yourself a lot of pain if you'd used your shadow magic."

Bakura shrugged. "It's important to keep your body strong as well as your mind and magicks."

Yami smiled. "Still planning to destroy me, Thief King?"

"Don't take me lightly, Pharaoh."

Mariku razzed. "You're still on about that world domination crap? Forget it, Thief. We've got the good life right here in Domino City. We're young and free, and we've each got a cute little hikari in love with us…"

"Speak for yourself." Bakura instantly wished he'd not said those words, which further opened the avenue he didn't want to venture down, especially not in the presence of Yami.

"So you still haven't conjured up the courage to tell Ryou how you feel about him", said Yami.

_I tried… He freaked out and beat me half to death. _

"Some things don't need to be said aloud."

"You're never gonna get anywhere with that kind of attitude", said Mariku. "Especially not with a tightass like Ryou."

"He's right, Bakura. If you love someone, it's best to make your feelings clear."

Bakura looked from Mariku's eyes to the pharaoh's cool, inscrutable gaze, wondering how the hell his feelings became such common knowledge. "Ryou has told me many times that he loves me…"

Yami and Mariku's expressions lit up.

"And every time he did, he emphasized that his love for me is like the love between brothers."

The other two yamis went slack.

Mariku seemed to feel especially bad for Bakura. It was a little odd to see him looking wounded on someone else's behalf.

Yami touched Bakura gently on the shoulder. Bakura twitched, but didn't pull away.

"I'm proud of you, Bakura, for your kind treatment towards your precious light. If Ryou wants your relationship with him to be platonic, it's best to respect his feelings."

"And what about Bakura's feelings? Is he supposed to walk around with blue balls for the rest of his life?"

"What the hell are blue balls?"

Mariku just laughed, "You're so cute." And leaned towards Bakura, eyes easing shut, lips slightly parted—

Bakura shoved Mariku hard enough to knock him on his ass. He sat there, stunned, blinking. Then he snapped back to and growled, "What the hell, Bakura?"

Bakura almost said, _Ryou doesn't want me to! _but was able to stop himself. He turned away, suddenly wanting to hide his face. "Sorry."

Yami said, "You're obviously under a lot of stress. We can help you, Bakura, no matter what you want to talk about. I can give you advice about relationships, sex…"

Bakura's face was hot. "Why the hell are you telling me this?"

Mariku chimed in, "Because it's so painfully obvious that you and your hikari are floundering in the sex department."

"It doesn't have to be awkward, Bakura", said Yami. "Sex is the most natural thing in the world for people who love each other."

Bakura started to laugh. "You sound like a sex-ed filmstrip."

Mariku agreed wholeheartedly. "Seriously, have you ever thought of getting work as a voice-over guy for edu-tainment?"

Yami went a little red.

"Besides", said Mariku, "weren't you just telling Bakura to respect Ryou's wishes to stay platonic?"

"What I mean, Bakura, is that I'm willing to give you sex advice to use when you do find the right person or persons to pursue a sexual relationship with."

Mariku and Bakura said it at the same time: "Persons?"

Mariku snapped and pointed at Yami. "I got it. Yugi and Anzu, right?"

Yami smiled and nodded.

Bakura was stunned. "You mean, you're in a—a relationship with Yugi and Anzu at the same time?"

"How the hell do you hide it from them? They talk to each other all the time."

"There's no need to hide anything. The three of us are very happy."

"So they know about each other", said Mariku. Yami nodded.

"Ever do'em both at once?"

"Yes, and it was wonderful."

Mariku high-fived Yami. Bakura stared at Yami, seeing the pharaoh in an odd new light.

"… I didn't know you had it in you, Pharaoh."

* * *

It was tiny, but Ryou wasn't sure he'd be able to finish it.

It was about 1"x2"x.75", served on a tiny plate, sitting on a doily with a tiny plastic knife provided to slice it up.

Yugi smiled, "Is it good, Ryou?"

Ryou smiled back. "Yes, it's delicious."

Ryou had wound up choosing to buy a small block of fudge, peanut butter swirled with chocolate and vanilla. It was delicious, but a little rich for Ryou's palate. He ate a couple of slices, then wrapped up the rest in a napkin.

Watching him, Anzu asked, "Didn't you like it, Ryou?"

"I do, but I thought I'd take some for Bakura to enjoy. He really loves peanut butter."

Yugi was eating a sundae stacked high with whipped cream and cherries. "So Ryou, how is your relationship with Bakura going?"

Anzu chimed in, "Is he behaving?"

Ryou looked at their expectant expressions and knew they were fishing for any hints that Bakura was abusing him.

_I wonder how they'd react if they knew. I doubt they could imagine me kicking anyone's ass, let alone that of my formerly evil, rarely badass yami. _

"Yes, Bakura and I are getting along very well. He cleans up around the house; we play board games and watch movies together. We're like brothers."

"Wow", said Yugi, "that's amazing. I'm so happy for you, Ryou."

"Like brothers?" said Anzu. "Does that mean you're not going to be his lover?"

Ryou's entire body jerked in shock upon hearing Anzu say the word _lover_. "What?"

She shrugged her eyebrows, digging into her banana split. "It just seemed like the natural progression. After all, Malik became lovers with Mariku, and Yami's in love with both me and Yugi…"

Ryou blinky-blinked and shook his head. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

"Well, Malik's with Mariku…" Anzu pointed her spoon in Malik's direction, causing Ryou to look at him, then feel great discomfort upon meeting the Egyptian's gaze. Malik didn't seem at all uncomfortable. He looked right into Ryou's eyes and crammed a brownie covered with fudge stripes into his mouth. Ryou quickly looked away, back at Yugi and Anzu.

"… and Yugi and I are Yami's lovers."

Ryou's mouth was slowly falling open. _She's saying it so casually!_

"Both of you—you both have sex with Yami?"

"Yes," said Anzu, "and it's so wonderful."

"We're not trying to shock you, Ryou. We thought you knew."

_I can't believe these two. They always seemed so innocent and pure, annoyingly so, and here they are talking about their threesome and eating ice-cream. What the fuck is going on here? I knew Malik was a sicko, but Anzu and Yugi… I never would've thought they were capable of debauchery. Are there no decent people in the world!? _

Ryou sighed. _I'm really one to talk. I'm just as bad as you people… _

* * *

He took in the sight of Jouno's easy smile. He felt his heart warm towards the blonde puppy. He wanted to believe that this was Jouno's true face.

_My puppy. I still love you._

"Would you like to come to my mansion for dinner with me and Mokuba tonight?"

Jouno's eyebrows perked. "I thought you didn't want me anywhere near your brother or your house."

"I'm extending an olive branch, Wheeler, don't give me a hard time over it."

Jouno was tickled by the look on Kaiba's face—his blushing face was so cute. "Okay, Seto. I'll put something nice on. Just wait here, okay? You can watch TV or play a game if you want. I'll try to be quick."

Once Jouno disappeared into his bedroom, Kaiba waited for the sound of chest drawers being pulled open before he pounced on the notebook computer sitting on the kitchen island counter.

It was in sleep mode—Kaiba tapped a random key and it came to life.

There were no saved files. None at all.

_No notes, no prototypal designs… he probably keeps it all on a flash drive. Smart move, Mutt. _

Next he opened the web browser and looked at Jouno's history. Under a website called WinChan, he found a ridiculously long list of image files. He knew there was an infamous group of websites, their names ending in "Chan", that were hangouts for deviants who liked to share pornographic images of varying legalities.

Kaiba had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

_So what's your poison, Wheeler? _

He knew he couldn't just turn off this computer and pretend he hadn't seen those links. He had to click on them and see what there was to see.

_These images represent who Jounouchi Wheeler really is— who he is when he thinks no one's watching. If I find images of little boys, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from strangling him right here, tonight._

His mouth dry, his heart pounding, Kaiba picked a link at random and clicked on it.

It was a picture of a large group of baby pandas.

Kaiba stared blankly at it for a couple of seconds before he realized that it was good that he'd found that, and chuckled to himself. Even as his exterior appearance was relaxed and he laughed to himself, his inner voice was still jabbing, _but what about the rest of these links? No way in hell these are all pandas! _

His face going stern again, Kaiba closed the panda picture and looked at the rest of the links. This time he went to the top of the list and clicked on that.

It was a cat with a rice bowl on his head.

He went down the list, and every link he clicked on was something adorable or goofy. No pictures of porn or death.

He wanted to believe that Jouno was this innocent, but he knew better. Jouno had cleared his history and planted these innocuous links for anyone who snooped.

Jouno's voice came from his room: "I'm almost ready, Seto!"

"No rush", he called back as he was about to cover his tracks and put the computer back in sleep mode—

_No, wait. What about his e-mail? _

He checked the inbox. It was mostly automatic mailings from popular websites— YouTube, OKCupid, MySpace, and so forth. But he found a few personal e-mails from someone called GoldenEyes.

_Ezra? _He opened the first one he found.

_e-mail message _

_to: GoldenPuppy_

_from: GoldenEyes_

_subject: I love 13Chan!_

_Hey, Puppy, how are you doing? Did you get that link I sent you? I've missed you on the boards. 13chan is great, if you haven't checked it out yet you should. They just created a new board dedicated to incest, which is just so perfect for me. It's amazing how many different things there are that people find arousing. They even have a board dedicated to sticking your dick in wine! How much could people have to say about THAT!?! LOL! _

Reading this, Kaiba remembered the hospital—Ezra looking at them and calling Jouno "GoldenPuppy".

The e-mail was time-stamped just a few hours earlier.

_He must've sent it right before he was arrested. _Kaiba's brow knitted itself in consternation.

_He treated Ezra like a stranger, when in fact they've been swapping e-mails and looking at porn together. Now Ezra's been arrested for a crime I suspected Jouno of. This can't be coincidence. _

Jouno's voice was coming down the short hallway. "I'm ready! Here I come!"

Kaiba quickly closed the laptop, wincing as he realized that he'd neglected to close the e-mail. _Maybe he'll just think he left it open. Too late to do anything about it now. _

Jouno looked sexy in red leather pants and a jet-black crop top. He smiled flirtatiously at Kaiba. "I hope this was worth the wait."

Kaiba wanted to give a smart comeback, but was too conflicted to formulate anything before Jouno was striding past him, out to the hallway. "Come on, Kaiba, I need to lock up. Unless you changed your mind about dinner."

Kaiba took a deep breath. "No. I didn't change my mind." He went with Jouno.

* * *

They started at opposite ends, each sitting next to the window, looking out, not speaking, unnamed tension hanging over them like a mist—not overpowering to the breaking point, but definitely _there_, and impossible to ignore or dissipate.

Jouno, feeling playful and wanting to make this a good night that would bring him closer to Kaiba, started gradually scooting closer to Kaiba. Every few seconds, he would nudge his ass just an inch or two in the other teen's direction. Kaiba didn't acknowledge him. As he got closer, Jouno started clearing his throat with each nudge, then gazing at Kaiba with a big sweet smile on his face. Kaiba was incredibly good at not noticing a thing.

He was almost close enough for their sides to touch. Jouno's first instinct was to reach over and lay his hand on Kaiba's crotch—shock factor and a sign of things to come, he thought. But then he stopped himself and looked at Kaiba's face, which was still pointed at the window.

_Is that all I want it to be with Kaiba? Snipe and argue, then jump in the sack? _

He couldn't see Kaiba's eyes, but he couldn't help but admire Kaiba's skin, so smooth and pale, and imagine that it would feel as sensually clean and cool as porcelain or marble.

_No, I want more with you. Fuck-buddies, boyfriends, rivals, enemies, friends… I know we can be more than any of those things._

So instead of grabbing Kaiba's crotch, Jouno hooked his arm under Kaiba's elbow. Kaiba snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Jouno for the first time since they'd gotten into the limo.

His expression was one of mild surprise, not something that was often seen. Jouno smiled up at him, hoping to convey feelings of affection and assurance—_We don't need to be enemies, Kaiba._

Jouno closed the gap between them, leaning his head on Kaiba's shoulder, hugging Kaiba's arm to himself.

Kaiba didn't say anything or pull away. He just sat there and let Jouno hold him. They didn't speak or look into each others' eyes for the rest of the ride.

* * *

The limo pulled up and halted in front of the mansion Seto shared with Mokuba. Seto got out first, then took Jouno's hand and helped him step out onto the smooth concrete driveway. The mansion was fully lit and beautiful. Jouno knew that this display was for him.

"Your house is beautiful, Kaiba."

"Thank you," came the cool reply. Seto offered his arm, which Jouno hooked his own arm around, and they walked up the rose-lined path to the house, where Roland stood waiting to open the tall stained-glass double doors for them.

As they walked together, it occurred to Jouno that all these niceties could be some sort of trap.

_Why else would he suddenly be so nice to me? He's probably hoping to make me confess to something, or steal some info about Duelist Paradise! I'd better not let my guard drop tonight, not even if we wind up sleeping together. _

Mokuba was waiting in the foyer, wearing a suit and tie. "Hi, Joey! Welcome to our home!"

"Hey, Mokie. How's it goin'?"

Mokuba took a step towards them, but faltered for a moment.

Kaiba unhooked his arm from Jouno's and went to Mokie. Jouno felt a moment of jealousy and irritation, but didn't voice his feelings.

"Mokie, are you okay?" He leaned towards his baby brother and put his hands on the boy's shoulders.

Mokuba blinked and smiled at Seto. "Sorry, I just got a weird feeling for a second. I don't know why…"

Kaiba realized what it was.

Mokuba continued, "Misha said that dinner won't be ready for a little longer, so why don't we all go check out the atrium? You can watch the ducks sleep, Joey!"

"Hm. I always wondered where ducks sleep."

"Come on, I'll show you."

Mokuba stepped towards Jouno, intending to take his hand and lead him, but Seto placed his hand on Mokie's to stop him.

"We'll catch up with you, okay? I need to talk to Joey for a minute." He gave Mokuba a firm look to convey how important it was that he not argue.

"Okay. See you outside." With those words, Mokuba walked away in the direction of the atrium, his footfalls echoing through the large foyer.

Seto waited until Mokuba was gone to speak. When he did, his voice was carefully composed, but still had a slight edge.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

"Do what?" _Shit, don't tell me I made some sort of etiquette faux pas already!_

"Why did you choose that outfit? Where did those clothes even come from?"

"I wanted to look hot. And I bought these with my own money."

"Same money that got you that Rolls Royce?"

"Yeah."

"And you won't tell me how you earned that money?"

"Kaiba, what's this about?"

Seto shook his head without thinking about it. _Is he really this clueless, or is he trying to fuck with me? _

"Follow me." Kaiba turned and marched up the stairs, his long legs carrying him far and fast. Jouno trotted after him, confused now, and a little worried.

* * *

Seto led Jouno up to his bedroom. It was grand and beautiful—the carpet was a pale gray, the walls were white, and the drapes were cream-colored. There was a 20-foot-long corridor connecting the hallway to the inner chamber. Along that corridor were three doors. One door led to the toilet chamber, another led to the bath, a large room with a bathtub large enough to swim in and a shower stall. The last room led to a walk-in closet. Kaiba walked in front, leading Jouno into the closet. Before he went in, Jouno looked down the corridor and saw the larger-than-king-sized bed in Kaiba's private chambers. For a fleeting moment he entertained the possibility of laying in that bed in the near future, nude under those silk sheets—

"Hurry up, Wheeler."

"Coming."

He went in and looked at the professionally organized shelves and racks. There were long racks neatly lined with shirts, arranged by color, and below that was another long rack, this one for dozens of pairs of pants. On the other side was a rack for long jackets. There were several of that white jacket Kaiba had worn at Battle City. The back wall was dedicated to shoes, and in the middle of the room was a large jewelry armoire.

_What the heck does he keep in there? Cufflinks, wristwatches, what other jewelry do men wear… douchebag gold chains??_

"Take that shit off." Jouno was startled by Kaiba's rough tone.

"What? I was trying to look good for you, Dumbass."

Kaiba was picking an outfit from his assortment of pale blue button-up shirts and tailored slacks. "You honestly don't remember, do you?" He watched Jouno's face.

"Remember what?"

"Fine. I'll spell it out for you. When you flipped out and…"

Kaiba got choked up, then cleared his throat, looking down and away. Jouno could tell that Kaiba was getting emotional. He didn't like it. Kaiba was supposed to be the strong one.

"… hurt all those people… For some reason you developed this strange penchant for leather… skanky, tight, bondage shit. That's not you."

"Are you saying I don't look totally ravageable in this?"

"Seeing you like that makes me sick."

Blanching, Jouno said, "Well, why the fuck didn't you say something at my goddamn apartment? I could've changed my fucking clothes!"

_I didn't notice what you were wearing because I was thinking about your porno habit and the possibility that you framed Ezra for attacking Dr. Wong. _

"Just change." He gave Jouno a shirt and some pants, both of which were on padded hangers. "Put these on."

Kaiba tried to move around Jouno, intending to let him have the closet to himself, but Jouno moved in front of him, a smirk darkening his face.

"No."

Kaiba matched his smirk. "It's not a request and it's not a choice. Change your clothes or leave my mansion."

"I like these clothes. I think I look hot. If you want to get rid of my clothes, remove'em yourself."

* * *

KT: Ooooooh! What're you gonna do, Kaiba?


	18. Ain't my B tch

**Chapter 18**

**Ain't my Bitch**

Yami and Mariku were thirsty. Since Bakura wasn't sure what they had, all three yamis went to the kitchen together.

Bakura sat at the table, his eyes faintly glazed. Mariku asked if he was alright.

"I'm doped up. I feel weird."

"Want some cold water?" Mariku opened the fridge. "Ah. Sake."

Bakura immediately said, "Don't drink that."

* * *

Ryou had a grin on his face as he approached the door of his house. The outing with Yugi-tachi had been pleasant, and he'd managed to not alienate them at all. Even though he for the most part knew better, he couldn't help but hope that this was a sign of things to come.

He unlocked the door, intending to swing it open happily and call out his usual greeting to Bakura- _BakuChan, doko desu ka?_

As he swung the door inwards, however, it came to a sudden stop, causing him to walk into the wood and glass, hurting his nose. Yami had closed the door when Yugi-tachi left, and he'd put the chain on.

"Bakura, come open the damn door!"

Bakura blanched at Ryou's words, embarrassed that Yami and Mariku had heard.

Yami frowned, looking in the direction of the front door, though they couldn't see it from the kitchen. "Is that… Ryou?"

Bakura stood quickly, almost knocking his chair over. "You two. Leave out the back door." He pointed at the door in the corner, which led to the backyard. "I'll see you guys later." With those words he headed towards the front of the house.

Once he was out of the other two yami's sight, he sped to a run, his mind racing._ Who closed the door when they left? Was it me? Would I still be stupid enough to do that? I can't remember! Fuck! _

"Bakura! Open this fucking door now!"

"I'm here! I'm coming!" He undid the chain, and opened the door so Ryou could step into the foyer. He walked past Bakura and Bakura followed him into the living room. Ryou looked the room over, and listened to the silence of the empty house. Satisfied that no one else was around, he slapped Bakura smartly across the face.

"I had a good time out there. Yugi and his friends were actually nice to me for a change. I was happy. And that—" he pointed at the door—"That one little mistake just completely ruined my good mood. Why did you lock me out of my own house, Bakura?"

"I must've done it without thinking. I—"

Ryou slapped him again, harder. "How many fucking times have I told you not to lock the chain? Don't lock me out of my own fucking house!"

"I'm sorry. Ryou, I—"

Ryou pulled back, as if he was going to punch Bakura hard. Bakura flinched and raised both arms to cover his head. Assured of his dominance, Ryou admired the sight of his cowering darkness.

He let out a long sigh, his anger departing with his breath. "I'm sorry. Maybe I was a little harsh just now, but you see your mistake, right?"

Bakura still had his arms covering his head, his head down. Ryou heard him sniff and could tell he was crying as he nodded.

_He's so cute like this, so pitiful and sweet… It makes me want to hug him. _

So he did, and Bakura hugged him back.

"Poor sweetie. BakuChan, it's okay. It'll be okay. Why don't you go upstairs and draw a bath, and we'll soak together and relax. Everything will be alright, okay? Go on."

Bakura went upstairs to start the bath.

Once Bakura had left, Ryou remembered that he had a small, neatly wrapped block of fudge in his pocket that he'd brought home for Bakura. He went to the kitchen to put it someplace safe, so Bakura could try it later.

_I can't wait to watch his expression as he tastes it for the first time… _Ryou chuckled to himself. _I doubt he's ever tasted anything so sweet!_

When he entered the kitchen, his mind registered two large human shapes right away, but it took him a second to realize that it was Yami and Mariku sitting at his kitchen table, casting their knowing gazes upon him.

"Oh my goodness!" he yelped without thinking, in his fake nice voice. He'd gotten so good at faking pleasantries that it happened automatically. "I didn't realize _you two_ were still here."

They didn't respond or greet him. The silence stretched out for a long time, the tension hanging in the air tangible as Ryou stood wondering how much those other two dark spirits had heard.

Finally, Yami said, "It seemed odd that Bakura would get so badly hurt in a fight against simple thugs, no matter how many of them there were." He eyed Ryou's hands, which were hidden under the extra long sleeves of his shirt. "Is that why you're so fond of long sleeves?"

Ryou tried to draw the happy mask over his face. It wasn't completely working this time. He knew he was caught. "I don't know what you mean by that."

Mariku took hold of Ryou's hand and squeezed, and Ryou cried out in pain. Mariku pushed the sleeves up.

Yami and Mariku beheld a pale hand streaked with cuts and scrapes, the knuckles swollen and discolored.

"Does it feel good to overpower him? Nice bit of payback, right?"

* * *

Bakura had his hand in the stream of water jetting out of the bath faucet. Ryou had often complained that the water was too cold, so nowadays Bakura always set the water just short of scalding, which he didn't like, but seemed to be perfect for Ryou. Bakura was grinning to himself, looking forward to the moment when Ryou would first slip into the water. If the temperature was just right, Ryou would let out this delicious sigh of contentedness and say, "Perfect water." When Ryou was happier, Bakura's world was better. It was as simple as that.

Bakura stopped and turned off the water, even though the tub only had three inches of water in it.

He wasn't sure but he thought he'd heard someone, possibly Ryou, scream just a moment before. He stood and walked to the door. He paused there, listening. It was quiet, so he opened the door and stuck his head out.

"Ryou? Is everything alright?"

* * *

As soon as they heard Bakura call out to Ryou, Mariku smiled evilly at Ryou, then clamped his free hand over Ryou's mouth and squeezed his hand again with a twisting motion. Ryou screamed into Mariku's hand.

Yami said, "Stop. That's not helping anyone."

Mariku took his hand away from Ryou's face. Ryou looked over at Yami's stern expression, then called out. "Yeah, everything's fine, Bakura. I'll be up in a few minutes, so make sure the bath is perfect, okay?"

"Alright", Bakura called down, and they heard the door close and the water start again.

Yami said, "I understand if you have a lot of anger towards him for things he did in the past, but we were supposed to start fresh after Battle City. Do you have no room in your heart for forgiveness?"

Ryou weighed his options. What he really wanted to do was argue with Yami, maybe kick the scrawny, self-righteous prick around a little. He pondered his chances against both Yami and Mariku for a moment— had an amusing little fantasy about beating them up and kicking them all over the house.

"He's my yami. I can do whatever I want to him."

Mariku was instantly reminded of something Bakura had said months before. _He's my precious light. I'll do whatever the fuck I want to him._

_Maybe they deserve each other, _Mariku thought.

"This is all between me and Bakura. So both of you, get the fuck out of my house." He turned on his heel and went back in the direction he'd come from.

"We can't leave them like this", said Yami. He and Mariku followed Ryou.

* * *

"… If you want to get rid of my clothes, remove'em yourself."

Kaiba laid his hand on Jouno's collarbone.

_I'm not being drawn in, and I'm not being fooled. I'll simply play the puppy—draw _him _in… get him to drop his guard and confess. _

Keeping his gaze locked with Jouno's, he slid his hand down to the chunky golden zipper on the front of Jouno's crop top and pulled it down. The blonde puppy's smile widened, and he seemed to be breathing faster now. Kaiba tried not to notice that his own breath was coming faster, too.

"Turn around, Wheeler."

He did so obediently, allowing Kaiba to pull the top off of his shoulders and toss it aside, making a mental note to burn it later.

He was now staring at the back of Jouno's neck, an alluring expanse of bare skin that he could not resist. Leaning forward, he let his slightly parted lips hover just short of touching the skin. Jouno sighed at the feel of Kaiba's breath. He felt Kaiba's long, slender fingers glide up the back of his neck and dive up into his blonde hair, moving to the top of his head and closing the fingers to grasp a handful of golden hair and gently, slowly pull Jouno's head backwards. Jouno moaned, feeling aroused now.

He felt Kaiba's chest warm against his back, his breath on his neck and earlobe. A purr in his ear: "Wheeler…"

Jouno leaned back to get more contact, more heat. He felt it—Kaiba was hard. He swiveled his hips against Kaiba's, causing the taller teen to moan.

Kaiba turned Jouno around roughly by the shoulder and pushed him backwards towards the nearest wall, which turned out to be a rack of shirts—soft, but unstable. Neither of them cared. Kaiba plunged forward and kissed Jouno hungrily.

_What am I doing? I'm supposed to hate him! I'm losing it now… _

Jouno wrapped his arms around Kaiba's neck, kissing him back even more greedily, picking up one of his legs and wrapping it around Kaiba's hip.

Kaiba's kisses traveled down Jouno's neck to his chest, down his midsection, stopping at the fly of Jouno's leather pants.

He unsnapped the button and pulled the zipper open, pulling the pants down and off, which left him on his knees before Jouno, whose underwear had a noticeable bulge.

Kaiba leaned forward, cupping his hand over the bulge, squeezing it, watching Jouno's reaction.

Jouno gasped in and moaned out a breath.

Before either of them knew what was happening, Kaiba had ripped Jouno's underwear away and was sucking him off.

Jouno was clawing at the shirts that swayed on their hangers around him. "Kaiba! Stop!"

Stunned upon hearing that, Kaiba did stop, but stroked Jouno as he spoke. "I can't leave you like this."

"It's not that I want you to _stop _stop, it's just that there's a big beautiful bed right out there. Maybe we should move this party, hm?"

* * *

As Ryou started up the stairs, he caught sight of Yami and Mariku following him. "What are you two doing? I told you to get out!"

Yami said, "We can't leave you like this. You're clearly very upset, and we don't want you to do anything foolish."

"I'm 'like this' because I have a couple of assholes in my house who won't go away!"

Yami started up the stairs after Ryou, with Mariku just a few steps behind.

"I said go away!" Ryou shoved Yami's shoulders hard, and he fell backwards, stumbling down the stairs and falling into Mariku's arms. Mariku lost his balance and both yamis landed in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs. Yami was dazed, groaning and struggling to lift his head. Mariku looked up at Ryou and said, "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Ha! Coming from you…?" Ryou turned and went up the stairs, telling himself that if they were stupid enough to follow again, he would do something worse to them.

* * *

They were together on the larger-than-king-sized bed. Jouno was running his hand up and down Kaiba's chest through the opening on the front of Kaiba's unbuttoned shirt.

"You're beautiful, Kaiba. Such sleek musculature, those deep blue eyes… You're the perfect man."

Kaiba looked down into Jouno's eyes, not sure how to respond.

Jouno went on, "I feel like this was meant to be, you know? I've dreamed about it for so long, being with you this way."

Kaiba was pushing feelings of doubt and anxiety away, but he could sense that they were close to overpowering him. He wanted to make love to the boy laying beneath him, the beautiful golden puppy. Gazing into his sweet face, the love in Jouno's eyes was marred by memories of the things he'd done in the past.

_This is just another mind-fuck, isn't it? I can't risk myself by trying to believe this… but I want it to be true…_

"How do you feel about me?"

"I love you so much, Kaiba. I've always loved you. Being here with you is a dream come true."

The way he spoke was way off. His accent was almost non-existent, and his inflections had become feminine.

"We can't do this."

Kaiba sat up and started buttoning his shirt back up.

Jouno—or whoever the blonde was right now—jumped up, draping himself over Kaiba. "Why not? What's wrong, Seto?"

"It's nothing you did. I just can't leave Mokuba waiting downstairs. After all, he's the most important person in my life."

Kaiba turned and immediately recognized the childish scowl on the blonde's face.

"When did you come out?"

She tried to hug him. "Kaiba—"

He stood and walked away from the bed. "Get away from me."

She jumped up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Don't leave! I've been waiting so long to make love to you again!"

Kaiba grabbed the blonde by the arms, shaking her violently. "Don't touch me, you piece of filth! I'll never forgive what you did to Mokuba!"

It was disturbing. There in his arms was Jouno Wheeler, a person he'd always been attracted to, a boy he'd somehow fallen in love with—but at this moment, he was… someone else. The way he spoke and carried himself, his facial expressions, and countless other tiny nuances were completely different. Kaiba had met this other person before, and though he had a strong sense of who it was, he did not believe in magic or dark spirits, so he'd been operating under the belief that Jouno Wheeler suffered from multiple personalities, and treated this spirit as an alternate.

"I just wanted you to myself", she said. "That little shit doesn't deserve your love—!"

He slapped her hard, then shook her even more vigorously. "I'll never love you. Never! The person I love most in the world will always be Mokuba, got it? If you go near him ever again, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Please don't hate me. I thought you loved this body."

Kaiba's expression and voice both softened. "I do. I love this body and I love this body's true inhabitant, Jouno Wheeler. I will never love some ghost that hides in his damaged psyche."

Tears were rolling down the blonde's face. Kaiba took the blonde into his arms and spoke tenderly.

"Jouno, come back to me. You're the one I'm in love with."

The blonde's body tensed and Kaiba could feel hands clutching his back.

_He's switching out, _thought Kaiba, and looked into the blonde's face and watched as Jouno returned. The blonde's eyes rolled up so much that they were almost completely white. He looked like he was on the verge of having a seizure. His body was shaking and fresh sweat was popping out on his skin as he gasped for breath. It was a frightening sight, but Kaiba held him close through it all.

Finally, Jouno's fearful but alert eyes searched his surroundings.

"What happened? Did I do anything bad?"

Kaiba wiped away the tears that were still trailing down Jouno's face. "You didn't. Do you remember anything?"

He remembered everything—arguing over the outfit, initiating sex, Kaiba fighting with that feminine spirit that took over Jouno's body, but it was blurring quickly.

_She pushed me out of the way… She wanted him all to herself._

"I kinda lost it when we were arguing about my clothes."

* * *

Bakura saw how angry Ryou was when he came into the bathroom, sensed urgency in his stride and stance, and noticed that Ryou had not bothered to undress before coming in. He didn't react with fear, because he knew that sort of reaction would incur worse abuse and he wasn't ready for that yet.

In his calmest, most polite tone, Bakura said, "The bath is almost ready, Ryou."

Ryou stared at him, wanting to hit him, knowing he shouldn't because Bakura just got back from the hospital—

– _But I can't help it—I'll explode if I don't let this out… Besides, it's his fault!_

He flew across the floor, feeling his sneakers skid on the smooth slippery tiles, but able to keep on his feet. He grabbed Bakura by the shoulder and yanked him forward, then swung around and struck Bakura's face with the other hand. The striking hand then arced around and grabbed Bakura's other shoulder.

He slammed Bakura into the wall repeatedly while spewing a stream of cusswords and insults into the steamy air.

Arms hooked under Ryou's armpits and pulled him away. He fought as Yami and Mariku pried him away from Bakura.

He elbowed Mariku in the ribs and smashed his palm into Yami's nose, causing it to bleed.

"Get out of my fucking house!"

"Fine!" said Mariku, "We'll leave, but we're taking Bakura with us!"

"He's mine! Try to take him, you sorry fucker, and I'll kill you both!"

Mariku goggled at Ryou. _Shit, Malik was right! This guy's really fucking scary when he's angry!_

The concern in Yami's voice gave Ryou pause: "Ryou, look what you've done to him."

Ryou turned and all three of them looked at Bakura. The thief was crumpled against the wall, unconscious. There was a bloodstain on the tiled wall that seemed to have come from the back of Bakura's head—there were red streaks in the snowy hair.

Yami continued, "He just came back from the hospital, Bakura. You've damaged him before he could heal."

Mariku said, "We have to take him back."

When Ryou spoke, his voice was calm again, not showing any anger, nor any guilt or concern. "I'll call an ambulance." He walked past the Pharaoh and Mariku to leave the room.

* * *

As they went down the stairs, Kaiba put his arm around Jouno's waist to help him, since the puppy was still dazed. Just the slightest brushing of Kaiba's fingertips on his side felt so good to Jouno—not necessarily for sensual reasons as much as for the affection Jouno could feel in Kaiba's touch.

The last few steps into the dining room, Jouno realized that it might seem odd that he came back in a different outfit.

_I hope they don't ask about it…_

"Joey, why are you dressed differently?"

* * *

Dr. Emil Hamilton stopped in his tracks on the concrete steps leading up into the hospital. For a moment, he smiled at the sight of the bandaged but still lovely Dr. Paoma Wong, a statuesque woman with midnight blue hair tied back in a long, voluminous ponytail. Then he saw who she was with, and nearly shat himself.

Forgetting his professionalism, he walked up to meet them and spoke to Paoma as if her companion wasn't there.

"Paoma? What the hell is going on here?"

"He's not the one who attacked me, Emil."

Hamilton looked down at the teenage boy at Dr. Wong's side. Ezra blinked up at Emil, a vacuous grin on his face, his golden eyes wide, with a glint in them that seemed to house some delicious secret.

"What the hell are you smiling at, you little fucker—"

Ezra didn't react, but Paoma got between them. "Don't speak to my patients that way, Emil."

"Don't indulge your patients, Paoma. If this kid's pulling a Jekyll and Hyde act, it's utter bullshit."

"The surveillance footage you gave me was tampered with."

Emil's facial muscles went slack, as if he was disappointed that Ezra wasn't going to prison. "By whom? The agency I hired is one of the best in Europe. No one could've gotten past them."

"Magic could", said Ezra.

Emil glared at Ezra and Ezra narrowed his eyes back.

A sleek black car stopped at the curb, and a driver stepped out. "Dr. Wong, are you ready to leave?"

"Yes."

As she walked past Dr. Hamilton, he grabbed her bony wrist. "Wait!"

She looked at him with mild interest and less-mild annoyance.

"You can't be alone with someone who's already tried to kill you once."

She twisted her wrist out of his grip, her expression not losing its coolness. "Stop worrying about me. It's unseemly."

He watched like a helpless fool as he watched them get into the car. As it drove off, Ezra smirked at him from the rear windshield and flipped him off with both hands.

* * *

Yami and Mariku hovered as Ryou tried to help Bakura down the stairs.

"Back off, we don't need any help."

Ryou had one of Bakura's arms hooked around his neck and his arm around Bakura's waist. He had most of Bakura's weight resting on his hip, some more on his shoulders, and his legs dangling uselessly beneath him. The dark spirit's head hung forward, white hair hanging around his face, obscuring it completely.

Yami and Mariku were below them on the stairs, keeping a constant proximity. They were staying near because they wanted to be close enough to catch Ryou and Bakura should they trip, but Ryou didn't see it that way. He didn't even consider that possibility. All he could see was that those two assholes were in his way.

They stopped at the foyer, where Ryou set Bakura down and put his outdoor shoes on his feet for him, then slipped on his own outside shoes. Then he stopped putting it off and lifted Bakura's head to get a look at his face.

There was nothing visibly wrong with Bakura's face, aside from the bruises that had already been there before. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he was asleep.

"Bakura. Bakura. Wake up. Come on. Wake up, Bakura."

Ryou held Bakura's face in his hands, caressing him, speaking softly. Although Bakura was vastly out of it, unable to move or speak or even open his eyes, he could hear Ryou talking and feel Ryou caressing his face. He thought he was having some wonderful dream.

Mariku said, "He's not waking up… He's dead, damnit."

At this point, Bakura found the strength to groan, "Not dead."

"See?" said Ryou. "He's fine."

Yami opened the door. "The ambulance is here."

"Do we really need them?"

A silence as Yami and Mariku glared at Ryou.

"Don't give me that look. The last ambulance cost 500$." He stood, sighing angrily. "Fine. We'll take him to the hospital, even though he's already awake."

* * *

Dinner was uneventful. The only awkward moments were the several times Mokuba alluded to any possibility of Jouno having feelings for Kaiba, or vice versa. After dinner, the three of them strolled through the atrium. Mokuba showed Jouno where the ducks slept—right out on the water, floating serenely with their heads tucked under their wings.

Seto's phone rang. Someone had come to see him.

"I'll be there momentarily. Offer them drinks in the meantime."

He closed the phone and smile at Mokuba. "I hope you've had fun tonight, Mokie. It's time to go to bed now."

Mokuba looked from Jouno's smiling face to Kaiba's, a big grin on his own face. "Okay."

Seto stooped forward enough to let Mokuba hug him around the neck. Mokuba then turned and hugged Jouno around his waist. Jouno was caught off guard, and chuckled self-consciously.

"Goodnight, Joey. Goodnight, Big Brother." As he trotted out of the room, he called back, "Have fun, you two!"

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Kaiba leaned toward Jouno, his expression and heavy sigh conveying his intention to claim a kiss. Jouno didn't budge. When Kaiba's lips touched his, he reacted quickly, kissing the taller boy tenderly.

"There's a cottage at the end of this manmade stream. Go make a fire in the fireplace and get comfortable. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay." He turned and walked down the stream. He would've liked to stand there and watch Kaiba depart, but Kaiba was watching him leave.

_He kissed me and said such romantic things… Does he really intend to make love to me tonight? But who is visiting him at this late hour? Is he sending me out to this secluded cottage-_

_-if there even is a cottage—_

_-to keep me from seeing who it is? _

* * *

Paoma Wong and Ezra showed up at Kaiba's house and explained that the videotape had been tampered with, and Ezra is innocent.

Ezra insisted that something magical influenced the videotape. "It reminded me of the pictures I saw in that movie, _Ring_. The girl changed the pictures by burning images into film, pyrokinesis, pyro-something..."

Kaiba said, "That was a movie."

"But it was based on something real. We should at least look into it. Watch the tape with us, Kaiba, maybe you can spot something Paoma and I missed."

They watched the videotape and the image quality was pathetic, but it did look like Ezra. Then they paused it and the image changed. Now it looked more like Joey. At one point he looked directly into the camera and his eyes shone with a demonic, monstrous light.

**18**

**ain't my bitch**

**finish**

**KT: Hope you liked. Please review! **


	19. Chapter 19

Hard to believe, it's been almost a year since I updated. Thanks to everyone who's been waiting, and thanks to everyone who put this on their faves/story alert/etc. I hope you enjoy...

**Chapter 19**

Jail wasn't as bad as Jouno expected it would be. His cell was small, but clean, and he had it all to himself. He was also allowed to have a computer in his room, which he used to continue typing up his game program. He knew it was all because of his boss's influence, and for that he was grateful.

The blonde boy sat on the small steel chair that was bolted to the wall, trying not to type too quickly. Computer languages were fickle bastards— one mistype could kill the whole game. Just one misplaced punctuation mark or one too many spaces between lines of code, and it was all over. Jouno wanted to have a functional framework for _Duelist Paradise_ before the indictment… if there was one, which the lawyer had assured him there would not be, but Jouno didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want this work to be left undone. He wanted to earn his fortune.

* * *

Bakura was laid out on the hospital bed, an oxygen tube taped to his face. He had been unresponsive since the ride to the hospital. Mariku and Malik were sitting in the big chair next to the thief's bed, both looking quite worried.

"Bakura loves Ryou so much…" Malik said softly. "How could he do that to him?"

"Ryou is damaged", said Mariku, "in his soul and in his mind. I don't know if any of us can help him."

* * *

Yami found Ryou in the chapel. He appeared to be praying. The pharaoh stood in the doorway and watched the white-haired teen sit, head bowed, whispering softly, though he could not hear what Ryou was saying.

What Ryou was saying was "Dear Lord, please don't let my thief die. I need him I need someone to love me and pay attention to me and put up with me please I love him I love him please don't let him die please please please..."

Once he'd finished, he lifted his head and opened his eyes. Yami called to him.

"What do you want, Yami?"

"I want to help you and Bakura. I did not realize how bad your relationship with him had gotten, Ryou. I'm terribly sorry things have gotten this bad, but I want to help you fix things and learn to heal."

"Thanks for the offer, but Bakura and I are quite alright."

"I saw you pounce on him and beat the living shit out of him. Why did you do that, Ryou? I can't understand how you became such a cruel, angry person."

"This is who I've always been. Don't try to understand it, and don't try to fix me. Just leave us alone."

"You know I can't. If things go on this way, you'll kill him. You'll be alone."

"I won't kill him. I love him. I don't hurt him that badly."

"Come look at him lying in that hospital bed, breathing through a tube, covered with bruises, and tell me he's alright."

"Leave me alone."

Yami brought out his duel monsters cards. "Let's play a game, you and I. Let us draw for the highest card. One round declares the winner."

Ryou looked at the cards, then at Yami. "If I win, you'll leave me and Bakura alone, right?"

Yami nodded.

"So what happens if I lose?"

"If you lose, I want Bakura to move in with me and Yugi. Just for a short time until things calm down."

That was probably a good idea. _That could be good. The house would be empty. I could bring Jouno in for some truly intense sessions. _

They broke the deck and held up their cards. Yami drew Celtic Guardian; Ryou drew Kuriboh.

Ryou sighed noisily. _I should've known I'd lose. These are his cards. _

"You need to give him some space, Ryou, and you could use some solitude too, I'd wager."

Ryou drew his feet up onto the hard wooden edge of the pew, knees tucked against his chest, feeling anxious now.

_I'm going to be alone… I want Bakura. I don't want to be alone… I just need someone... _

He cast a glance at Yami. Yami didn't really turn Ryou on, but he wasn't repulsive. Right now he looked like enough for Ryou.

He reached over and laid his hand over Yami's. "Thank you for trying to help us, Yami. You're very kind. He lightly caressed Yami's hand.

"Ryou, you'll be okay."

"Do you think so?" Ryou met Yami's eyes with his own and held the eye contact, trying to convey desire to be touched, to touch.

Yami reached up and caressed Ryou's hair. "Everything's going to be alright."

Ryou screwed up his brow like he was going to cry. "Oh Yami!" He dove forwards into Yami's arms. The sudden heat of Yami's chest was intoxicating. Ryou wrapped his arms around Yami's midsection.

_Ahh, wonderful, this delicious human contact._

He held on as long as he could. Yami accommodated him, stroking his hair and rubbing his back in small circular motions. When he got to the point where he knew it would be creepy to hold on any longer, Ryou let go, then lifted his head and gazed into Yami's eyes. If he was going to get anything, this was the moment of truth.

"Yami...?"

"Yes, Ryou?"

Ryou let his gaze lower to Yami's lips, then started moving forward. Yami didn't stop him. Their lips met and Ryou was amazed at how softly and skillfully the pharaoh was kissing him. Along with the other emotions was the thrill of a new conquest and all the new avenues that would be open with having another lover on his queue.

Soon they were necking passionately. Ryou made his move. He climbed onto Yami's lap, pulling at his collar, feeling him up.

Yami had to stop. "Ryou, stop. This is too much."

"What?"

Still straddling Yami, they stared at each other.

"You're upset, Ryou, not thinking straight. You may regret it later if you sleep with someone so casually."

Ryou fought hard not to laugh his ass off. Very VERY hard.

* * *

Bakura woke the next morning. Malik and Mariku were there to greet him, and sunlight was streaming gently through the windows. Yami, Yugi, Anzu, Duke, Honda, and Mai all stopped by, wishing him a fast recovery and dropping off small "Get Well" gifts. Bakura could sense that everyone was shocked as to why Bakura was in the hospital, but no one brought it up. Bakura was grateful for that.

Evening descended and Ryou had not come to see him. At sundown, a nurse came in to check on his tubes and machines, and close the drapes. Malik and Mariku weren't going anywhere—they were watching pay-per-view movies all day, joking about celebrities and enjoying old movies, like the first _Ghostbusters_. They were trying a little too hard to keep the mood light, and Bakura was past enough.

"Where is Ryou? Why hasn't he come to see me?"

Malik frowned and brushed Bakura's bangs away from his clammy, bruised forehead. "I don't understand why you'd have any desire to see him after what he did to you."

Mariku was watching the beginning of _Groundhog Day_. "Maybe he's a masochist", he said without looking away from the fluffy clouds. "I like this opening music. It's fluffy, like the clouds…"

"I've done horrible things to him as well." Bakura sighed at the ceiling. "I don't care how badly he treats me. I'm in love with him."

Malik's expression softened a little, from anger towards Ryou, to admiration for the bizarre purity of Bakura's love. "That's so romantic. Demented and wrong, but romantic."

* * *

A few days later, they let Bakura out of the hospital. Ryou wasn't there when they discharged him- everyone thought it'd be best if they didn't see each other for at least a while. Let them each have some breathing room, they said.

Bakura found himself longing to see his precious light. He was able to bury the reality of Ryou yelling at him and beating the shit out of him at the slightest provocation in the back of his mind. All he could think about was the fun times, all their happiness and all the sweetness of Ryou's smile, Ryou in the bath saying, "Perfect water", Ryou snuggled up against him in bed.

Mariku and Malik were being extra kind to him. Everyone had agreed it would be best if Bakura went to live with them for a short time. Bakura was not terribly thrilled with the idea, but the only other option would've been to live with Yami and Yugi ant his grandpa's game shop, so Bakura happily gladly chose the lesser of two annoyances.

* * *

It was lights out. Jouno had typed all day. His back, ass, and shoulders were aching, pleading for a break. _Stand up, stretch, pace the room a little,_ they all begged, but Jouno ignored them. He was too involved in his work.

He was typing up code for each of the monsters. He had intended to wait until he could get a Duel Monsters guidebook and type up using the monsters' profile info so he could be sure to get it right, but he was feeling impatient, so he started typing up the codes for his favorite monsters.

Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Time Wizard.

Time Roulette.

Jinzo.

Nimble Momonga.

Cure Mermaid.

Cyber-Stein.

Some of the cards were his, and some belonged to her, but Jouno was typing it all with the same intimate knowledge and affection that he felt towards his own monsters. It was a schizophrenic feeling.

A female voice spoke up inside his head: _I love Cure Mermaid. She's so cute, but she's powerful and she has a great special ability. She's a great addition to our deck. _

Jouno froze. _She just spoke to me! With such a casual tone, too…!_

Jouno gulped.

He became aware that he could suddenly imagine what she looked like, as if she were floating in front of him, ghostly. She was a young girl with blonde hair, hugging a teddy bear. She smiled at him.

"Why are you showing yourself to me? Why now?"

"_Nice", _she said, and vanished.

"Wait, come back. Tell me who you are. Please, talk to me."

But she was gone.

His hot streak was ice cold now, so he saved for the umpteenth time, closed his computer, and stood to stretch.

His muscles groaned weary thanks at the activity. After he stretched and paced for a while he became aware of how sleepy he was, so he lay down on the bed, which was about as soft as his own. Not bad—he knew it was high quality for a jail bed. As he relaxed into the mattress, he felt this ache in the center of his being and could tell he would fall asleep quickly.

As he drifted, his mind wandered, reaching out.

_Tell me who you are… it's not like you can leave my mind, so we might as well try to communicate. Show yourself to me again. _

Her voice: _I like it in your mind. There's plenty of space. _A girlish chuckle.

_Where did you come from? _

She swam into view, standing on the beach. She was facing the other way, gazing towards the horizon, where the sun was setting. Watching this, Jouno wondered if this was one of her memories, or maybe it was a dream that never came true. It had that too-perfect feel.

"Listen, don't worry about us. We like being with you, so we're gonna take good care of you."

"How many of you are there?" As he spoke this, Jouno realized he was in a dreamlike state—his body felt too light, and he could tell by the dull ache throughout his limbs that he was on the brink of waking himself. He felt his vocal cords vibrate and knew he was laying on his bed in his cell, mumbling to himself.

The little blonde girl turned towards him and as she did, another girl appeared standing beside her. This girl had long, greasy, jet-black hair. She looked eerily like Sadako from the movie _Ringu. _Jouno's stomach turned at the sight of her.

Though he didn't feel any ill will towards himself from this new girl, Jouno could nonetheless sense that there was something evil about her. He sensed other things— bloodlust, cruel leanings, and a desire for—revenge? Against whom?

"You're the one I met before. You were burning papers and wearing my face."

Sadako-girl's mouth twisted into a creepy smirk.

"Are you two from Ancient Egypt?"

They hunched over laughing.

"Then tell me who you are and how you came to inhabit my body."

They smirked at him again and the blonde girl said, "But it's so much fun to keep secrets… I don't even know who she is." She nodded towards her dark-haired companion. Even though this Sadako clone didn't speak, Jouno suddenly got a feeling from her, something like a telepathic message.

_I like your body. _

Not a flirtation. She meant she liked possessing him.

"I can't let you stay here. If you're both dead, you should move on. I can help you, if you want."

"You can't tell us what to do. We're beyond you— beyond laws, needs, or mortality; all we have left is our desire to make certain people suffer."

The two girls locked hands.

"And if you try to stop us, we'll make you suffer to no end."

They were suddenly right in front of him, wrapping their arms around him. Their long hair was wrapping around his neck, waist, arms, face, suffocating him.

"We like you for now. Don't fuck with us or we'll kick you out of this body. Don't think we can't do it."

Jouno started thrashing around, hoping he could wake himself from this nightmare. He managed to do that and swiftly fell out of his bed, onto the hard steel floor.

He lay on his side, grimacing from the sudden pain in his shoulder and hip bone, where he hit the hardest. He was short of breath, his lungs burning.

_Oh God, is there any fucking chance that was just a nightmare, and I don't actually have two evil little bitches camping out in my psyche?_

* * *

Ryou didn't miss Bakura as much as he thought he would. At first, while Bakura was hospitalized, Ryou found himself thinking of Bakura all the time. He'd even gone to the hospital a few times, only to be rebuffed by Malik and Mariku. Bakura was discharged and would be spending his first night over at Malik and Mariku's place tonight. Ryou was feeling a bit rejected that Bakura was not with him and most likely had no desire to be with him. However, he was able to put it out of his mind and read. He sat down with a stack of books off of his summer reading list and just started reading. He focused on what he was reading and the days were flowing by as easily as a cheery country stream.

Now that the extra classes were done, Ryou spent his days cleaning the house, organizing, rearranging, getting rid of clutter. It was good busywork that took his mind off of his troubles. Part of him hoped he would never see Bakura or Yugi-tachi again.

He thought constantly about sex—mostly, he fantasized about being taken forcefully, fucked hard, it didn't matter by who— bondage, humiliation, maybe even outright rape. He didn't know why he couldn't stop thinking about that. He'd been a pervert since grade school, but it seemed out of control lately.

Maybe it was because he'd been unable to get ahold of anyone. He'd gone trolling for lovers a few times, always unsuccessful.

_Fucking mystifying. How could anyone not wanna bang the fuck out of a cute little uke like me? _

He called Jouno dozens of times and kept getting his voice mail. He left messages, but Jouno was ignoring him. Ryou couldn't even remember what Jouno's cock felt like shoving into him, it had been too long.

_What the hell is wrong with me, Joey? Am I a lousy fuck or something? Call me back already; I wanna fuck!_

* * *

Malik and Mariku had gotten a guest room ready for Bakura. The bed was neatly made, and there was a banner over the bed with a sloppily painted message:

_WELCOME TO OUR HAPPY HOME, BAKURA! _

They helped him into the large bed, propping him up on some fluffy pillows, then handing him several remote controls, much to his bewilderment.

"See", said Malik, "This one's for the TV, this one's for the DVD player, this one's for the Blu-ray player, this one's for the radio, this one's for the CD player, this one's for the ceiling fan, and this one's a phone. Simple, right?"

_Shit, no. I've already forgotten everything you just told me. _"Uh, yeah…"

They hopped into bed with him, one on either side, snuggling up against him, but not being too rough since he was still healing.

"What do you wanna do now, Bakura?"

"Watch a movie? Are you hungry?"

"Thirsty?"

"Tired? Wanna go to sleep?"

"We should start thinking…"

"About what?"

"We should try to come up with a name for our band."

The two Egyptians' faces lit up. "You've decided to do it with us?"

Mariku clenched his fist, smiling a big, craggy-toothed smile. _"Yes!" _

"Hey, I've got it", said Malik. "We Three Thieves!"

Bakura and Mariku frowned at that.

"Three Crazy Blondes!"

"Maybe that's a little too on the nose…"

"Ryou Sucks."

Malik and Bakura both gaped at Mariku. Bakura crossed his arms. "This is going to take a while."

Malik sighed relief that Bakura hadn't flipped out about Mariku's joke.

Bakura started mumbling to himself. "BeeBee… Blonde, Bisexual, Bishies, Bakura, B-B-B-B…. BibbleBee."

"BibbleBee?" they both repeated.

Bisexual Blonde Bishies. B-I, B-L, B-I. Bibble-Bee."

"I don't know," said Malik.

Mariku said, "I like it. For sure no one else'll think of it."

"Bible-BI?"

"No, then people will think we're a religious group."

"B3."

"What are we, playing Bingo? Forget it."

"Blonde, Bisexual Bishies," muttered Bakura.

Malik said, "Bi-Bi. (pronounced like "Bye-Bye") It'll stand for Bisexual Bishies."

"That's kinda cute", said Mariku. "It could catch on. Be memorable and unique."

Bakura slowly nodded. "Let's give it some thought. We don't have to be married to it right away, but it's the top contender for now. Let's get some rest."

Without a word, the two Egyptians snuggled in close against Bakura.

"G'night."

"Nighty-night."

They closed their eyes and quickly fell asleep, leaving Bakura irritated that he could not move.

_I wish I could turn over. I sleep better on my side. Damn, can't move… _

He glared down at the two of them, opening his mouth to tell them to move, but they were sound asleep, their breathing soft and even, their expressions sweet and happy.

Bakura sighed.

_I'm pretty tired anyway. I guess it doesn't matter what position I'm in… _

He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. It didn't take long…

* * *

Curled up on the couch in the living room, moonlight streaming through the parted curtains onto his small curled up form, Ryou frowned and arched against the armrest, eyes squeezed shut.

_It's taking too long! Why can't I come?_

He glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. It was dim—there were no lights on, but in the moonlight it looked like 9:45.

_Oh God, I've been masturbating for 50 minutes and I still can't come? What the hell is wrong with me? _

He rubbed harder.

_Come… Come! _

It wasn't working. He hardly felt anything. He wasn't even breathing hard.

_Can't give up… I need the release. I don't even care if it's good; just give me a release…! _

It wouldn't happen. He was getting soft. Sighing, he let go and slumped backwards, disappointed and frustrated, wiping his hand on his pants.

_I'll never get laid again. Finally the house is empty and I can come whenever, wherever, as loudly as I want, and this happens? This is so unfair…_

Hands over his face, he yelled, "I just wanna have a fucking orgasm!" to the emptiness.

* * *

Schroeder's lavender limousine was waiting when Jouno came out of the building, carrying his treasured laptop computer with him. It was just past midnight, and there were no people around.

The jail gates closed behind him. Feeling a twinge of dread, Jouno turned and gave a parting glance to the security guards, who no longer had any power over him.

The limo driver was holding the door open. From inside came Schroeder's voice. "Come, Herr Vheeler. Ve've been vaiting for you."

He climbed into the limousine and the driver closed the door.

"Thanks, Boss."

"Can't have my star employee rotting in some cesspool, can ve? By the vay, don't vorry about bad publicity. Ve've managed to keep this whole incident out of the news."

"Seriously? I thought there was a lot of buzz or whatever about Paoma's attack."

"No vone got vind of the connection. No vone even knows you're vone of her patients."

"I don't know how the hell you kept all those things secret, but thanks again. The last thing we need is bad publicity overshadowing Duelist Paradise's release." With those words, Jouno opened his laptop and started typing again.

"That's vhat I love to see… dedication."

_I need to charge my cell phone as soon as I get home… Although, the odds that Serenity called are non-existent. Maybe Yugi… no. He must not know I got arrested, or he would've been in to see me. Ryou might've called. He's probably mad that I haven't called him. It'll be fine once I explain where I was. I'll call him in the morning._

* * *

Ryou slept on the couch. He wasn't comfortable there, but didn't bother going upstairs to his bed. He simply lacked any motivation to move. He felt the ache of a full bladder, but still, he wouldn't get up. His sleep was fitful—he kept waking, turning, waking, curling up, squirming in a fetal position because he didn't want to get up and use the toilet.

He'd given up on getting off tonight, but sexual fantasies kept flowing through his mind, mostly rough stuff. He didn't picture anyone in particular fucking him, though he was sure his next lay would most likely be Jouno.

_If he ever fucking calls again, and if I feel like forgiving him. Dipshit. _

Sometime in the midst of his nocturnal ruminations, his attacker developed a face.

_Why am I picturing him? He is beautiful… I do love him… but not in that way… we're supposed to be like brothers…_

* * *

Bakura didn't like Lucky Charms. Sure they were tasty, but they caused certain problems if he ate too much…

_I guess one small bowl won't hurt. _

Malik was cooking up an egg-white omelet. "Are you sure you don't want me to cook you something, Bakura? It doesn't have to be an omelet. I can make pancakes, biscuits, French toast…"

"Bullshit", called Mariku as he walked in. "You know you can't cook worth a shit."

Malik scoffed. "Look at this omelet and tell me I can't cook. It's a thing of beauty."

Mariku took the chair next to Bakura at the table. "You shouldn't be up and about so soon. You shoulda let us bring you breakfast in bed."

"That's not something I care for. I'm fine here."

"Let us take care of you, Bakura. Consider us your healing, sexy nurses of mercy."

Malik caught sight of Mariku's naughty smile. "You're picturing me in the uniform now, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah. Lookin' good. Now I know what you're dressing up as for Halloween."

Malik sat down across from Bakura and started eating. Mariku got a bowl for himself and poured up some Lucky Charms.

"You like sweet stuff too, huh? I love Lucky Charms. Magically Delicious… Magically Delicious…"

Malik swallowed his food and took a sip of orange juice. "Those commercials get on my damn nerves. Those stupid, badly drawn characters chasing each other around and hatching elaborate schemes to get the cereal. It's cereal, for crying out loud. Get a couple of dollars and go BUY a fucking box of cereal if you want it so bad. That's why I can't stand those damn roadrunner cartoons. If he can afford all those stupid contraptions from Acme, why doesn't he just order a Ra-damned pizza?"

"They're just commercials. Don't get so bent out of shape."

Mariku was still singing. "Magically Delicious, Magically Delicious…"

Bakura watched him for a couple of seconds, then joined in. "Tragically Malicious, Tragically Malicious."

They looked at him.

"I like that", said Mariku.

"Maybe that could be our first album title."

"Are we still gonna call our band Bi-Bi?"

"Maybe it's too cutesy."

"We should cross-play on the album cover. Malik can be the sexy nurse, I'll be the doctor, and Bakura can be the patient." Mariku almost added, _He's already got all the bandages on_, but stopped himself in time. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up Bakura's injuries, which might bring about thoughts and discussion about the one who had caused those injuries.

* * *

He'd finally given up and gone to the toilet just before dawn, then headed over to bed. Though he had more space now, he was still curled up in the fetal position. His small form huddled under the comforter, trembling and panting.

He was rock hard now, moaning softly. For some reason things were working now, and Ryou was feeling euphoric, although his mood was still lousy. He didn't like the thoughts streaming through his mind as he sped towards his release.

As he came, he moaned softly. Remembering that he was alone, he didn't stop himself from vocalizing.

"Ah… Ahhh… nnngh… Bakura… Bakura… ahhhh…"

**chapter 19**

**finish**


	20. Eye of the Beholder

KT: Yay, another update, and just a week after my last update! Pretty fast! I don't know why my writing mojo came back, but I'm grateful. Please enjoy, and review if you have anything to share

**Chapter 20**

**Eye of the Beholder**

* * *

After breakfast, Malik and Mariku escorted Bakura right back to his guestroom, practically carrying him up the stairs.

Propped up on a mountain of fluffy pillows, Bakura frowned at the bright morning outside.

_Damn it. I came up with the perfect name for our band over breakfast, but I didn't tell anyone, and I forgot to write it down. Now I can't remember! I'm sure it was a hell of a lot better than Bi-Bi…!_

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a large deep purple van with lightning bolts painted along its side pulled to a stop in front of the house. K San got out of the driver's seat, and Sakuma San hopped out on the passenger side.

_Good. Now I can get my notebook back! _

He dragged himself out of bed, feeling a bit weak and pained. Trying to walk faster than he should forced him to hold onto furniture and walls as he made his way to the stairs. Then he slowly eased himself down while clutching the banister.

Sakuma looked stunned to see him.

"Hey, Bakura—what the hell? You're all banged up! What happened?"

Malik jumped up and trotted up the stairs to Bakura. "What're you doing? We just got you to bed."

"What happened, Bakura?" asked Sakuma San again. "Were you in a car wreck or something?"

"Something like that", Bakura said wryly.

Mariku explained to Sakuma San, "He just got out of the hospital. He's staying here for a while."

"It's kind of perfect, actually," said Malik as he helped Bakura the rest of the way down the stairs. "Gives us more time together to get our band off the ground."

K San entered, holding a couple of bass guitar cases. "Damn, Bakura, what happened to you?"

"He was in a car wreck," said Sakuma San.

"When did that happen?"

"Last week. I'll be fine soon enough."

"Last week? What the hell? You looked fine yesterday."

Bakura, Malik, and Mariku froze, their gazes locked on K San.

"You saw me yesterday?"

K San nodded. "When I went by your place to drop off your notebook."

Bakura was lucky Malik was already holding him up, because he collapsed upon hearing those words.

* * *

The sleek black Rolls Royce pulled up in front of Ryou's house. It was still early, still a bit temperate. The street was quiet, except for a bird tweeting somewhere in the trees.

Ryou was standing on the porch, aching with anticipation. He watched as the driver got out and walked around to open the door.

Jouno stepped out into the sunshine. For a second, Ryou didn't recognize him.

He was wearing a three-piece suit, charcoal gray, with a deep red button-up shirt, and a black tie with silver diagonal pinstripes. Over that he wore a long gray coat that seemed a bit heavy for the late June weather.

Jouno said something to the driver, then started towards the house. The driver jumped into the Rolls and sped away.

Ryou could tell by Jouno's cocky stride that he was once again not quite himself.

_It's Yami Jouno… oh God, he's gonna fuck me so hard… _

As Jouno reached the porch landing, he shrugged off his coat, letting it drop to the ground.

"Sorry I missed your calls, Ryou, but I was in jail. You understand, hmm?"

"… Yeah…"

Locking eyes with Ryou, he closed in, passing over the threshold, closing the door behind him as he pushed Ryou into the house using nothing more than his intense gaze.

"You look so good, Joey… Jouno…"

Jouno tilted Ryou's face up towards him and kissed him deeply. He moved closer and they felt it—they were both hard already.

Ryou could feel Jouno's fingers tangling themselves in his thick white hair, curling and pulling, snapping Ryou's head back to break the kiss. Jouno was studying his face, as if he were some fine sculpture.

"Beautiful face", he said, and kissed Ryou again, deeper, making it hard to breathe. Ryou was trembling, clutching at Jouno's arms, feeling like he had to break the kiss and breathe, but not sure he wanted to.

They finally did, and Jouno was pulling Ryou's shirt over his head, then Ryou undid Jouno's tie and ripped his vest and button-up shirt open. Ryou ran his hands down Jouno's chest—it was a little more tan than his own, and it was just a little muscular.

Jouno had Ryou by his upper arms and was pushing him backwards. Walking into the first step that marked the end of the foyer, Ryou lost balance and Jouno let go, allowing him to crash into the floor.

Ryou groaned in pain, but didn't have time to ask Jouno why he'd done that, because the blonde was already on top of him, forcing him down, running his hand down the side of Ryou's face, down his neck, chest, midsection, pausing to undo the jeans and pull them down.

"Jouno", he gasped, "Hurry up and fuck me. Hurry, I'm gonna fucking die!"

He used the wrong words. Suddenly Jouno abandoned what he was doing and jumped on Ryou's neck, throttling him violently.

Ryou clutched at Jouno's sleeves, short nails digging at the fabric, but he wasn't trying to stop the blonde from strangling him. He felt the pressure building up in his face. Coughing, gasping, he welcomed the grayness descending. He wanted to move past it, to see what happened next…

Then it was over. Jouno's hands were gone and so was his body heat. Ryou got up on his elbows and looked around. Jouno had thrown himself backwards against the wall, and on his face was an expression of horror.

"Ryou, I'm so sorry… I couldn't stop myself…!"

"Joey?"

"It wasn't me, I swear. I would never do that. It was the dark spirit inside me."

Letting out a big sigh, Ryou fell backwards, letting his head thump on the floor. Jouno was still apologizing.

Forearm covering his eyes, Ryou yelled, "Shut the fuck up!"

Stunned silence.

"It's fine, Joey. We play rough. Just let him out. I need him." His jeans were crumpled around his ankles. He kicked them off and, spreading his legs, Ryou started to rub the crotch of his boxers. He let out a frustrated groan.

"Ryou…?"

"Aah… huh… Hurry up and fuck me… I need it… I don't care who you are. Just nail me into the floor! Now!"

Eyes squeezed shut, Ryou heard Jouno shudder and change. The dark spirit's voice let out a low, evil chuckle.

"See? I told you he liked it. Now go to sleep and let us have our fun."

Ryou welcomed the hands that ripped off his boxers, the hard cock forcing itself into him, making him scream, then hands closing tight around his neck. Coughing and gasping; screaming and catching his breath between strangulations, he felt free. It was painful far past the point of pleasure, yet it felt _right._

* * *

Bakura was back in bed. Right now, he didn't even have the strength to sit up. He lay there like a worthless lump, wishing he could get up and _do something, _instead of just lying there drifting in and out of consciousness.

His eyes fluttered open again and he saw K San sitting on a wooden chair at the foot of the bed, rifle in hand, eyes inscrutable behind his sunglasses. Malik had posted K San there to keep Bakura from going home for his notebook, while Mariku made the run. Malik and Sakuma San were downstairs, discussing future plans.

_Ryou has the notebook._

_Maybe he didn't read it._

_Of course he read it. Scrawled across the front is "Poetry and Prose by the Thief-King Bakura". Who wouldn't be intrigued by such a ridiculous title?_

_So right now, he knows…exactly how I feel about him. My schmaltzy, completely inappropriate feelings, which are sure to disgust him. _

_Oh, Amun Ra… that entry about him in the shower… Shit…_

He barked out, "Shit!" and instantly regretted it for the pain that welled up in his head and neck.

K San twitched and looked at him, his brow knit. "Don't get so upset. Mariku's getting your notebook right now. I'm sorry this happened."

* * *

They were curled up on the floor, naked, sweaty, trembling, Ryou more so than Jouno.

"You didn't hate it this time."

Feeling worn out, Ryou looked at Jouno by only moving his eyes.

"Being strangled. You actually seemed to welcome it this time."

"I guess I did."

"Were you hoping I'd kill you?"

"No", he said right away. "I'm thirsty. Want some water?"

"No thanks", said Jouno, knowing it would be tap water with a couple of ice cubes in it. Getting closer, he leaned over Ryou's pale bare chest, kissing a soft line from the base of his throat to his heart. "You really do have a beautiful body, Ryou…"

"You wish to possess it, don't you?"

"On some levels, yes. Does that scare you?"

"No. I'm sure you have reasons for staying with Jouno all these months."

"So you know who I am."

"Yeah."

"And you're okay with it?"

"It's not like there's anything I could do about it, anyway."

"If you died, you'd want to stay dead, wouldn't you?"

"Is it peaceful being dead?"

"I'm not the one to ask about that."

They kissed passionately, deeply. Ryou's fingers stroked Jouno's sweaty golden hair, and Jouno's hand roamed down Ryou's chest. Ryou gasped when Jouno's hand wrapped around him—he was hard again.

"Ready for round two?"

"Apparently so", he breathed.

Jouno picked Ryou up in his arms, lifting him easily. "Let's take this party upstairs, hm?"

* * *

Mariku climbed off of Malik's FXDB Daytona and strode up the sidewalk to Ryou's house, feeling a bit tense about the imminent confrontation. He didn't fear Ryou at all; his main concern was that Ryou might piss him off and –

_I don't think Bakura would forgive me if I beat Ryou up. Right now Bakura's adoration for Ryou is the only thing keeping him healthy as far as I'm concerned. _

He paused at the top step of the porch. Laying there in front of the door was a long gray coat. Mariku picked it up, dusted it off.

_This is pretty high-quality. Why is it just laying here?_

He tossed the coat across the armrest of the porch swing. As he turned towards the door, intending to knock, he caught sight of human shapes moving around in the foyer. They were distorted through the cut-glass, but Mariku could tell that they were naked. He got closer, glaring through the glass.

He recognized Jouno and Ryou—neither of them was facing his direction, but the shapes of their hair were unmistakable.

As Mariku watched, speechless, Jouno picked Ryou up in his arms and carried him up the stairs. After about thirty seconds, he heard Ryou start moaning loudly from what must've been his bedroom.

Mariku backed down the sidewalk, gaping up in the direction of the moaning, mortified by Ryou's actions. Looking quickly around, his gaze settled on the base of a tree nearby, where there was a small circular border comprised of bricks. He grabbed the nearest one and hurled it through the window. The moaning stopped.

Slowly, Jouno's face appeared in the window, his expression calm. He lifted his hand in a small, unworried wave.

"Where is he?"

Jouno didn't respond. His mouth twitched into a subtle smirk.

"RYOU, YOU STUPID, SORRY FUCKER!" screamed Mariku. "BAKURA WAS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL, AND YOU'RE HERE WHORING AROUND! HE LOVES YOU SO FUCKING MUCH, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO? YOU WORTHLESS FUCKING WHORE! NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Jouno disappeared from view and just a few seconds later, Ryou started moaning again, louder this time.

Mariku stood contemplating whether or not he should bust into the house—weighing his rage on Bakura's behalf against respecting Bakura's feelings about Ryou.

His phone rang, and it was Malik, so he answered.

"Hey. You don't have to go to Ryou's house after all. We found the notebook here."

Mariku was stunned silent.

"Mariku? You there?"

Bakura's voice: "Give me that… how is he?"

"… uhm….."

"Ryou. How is he? How does he look?"

"He's fine", said Mariku, hoping to Ra that Bakura wouldn't hear Ryou's moaning through the phone.

"Did he mention me? Did he say anything about me moving back in?" Then there was a light struggle on the other end, and Malik's voice saying, "That's enough. Get back into bed."

Malik said, "Sorry I sent you out for nothing. Come on home. We've got lots to discuss about the band."

"… Yeah… I'm coming back. See you soon." He hung up and cast one last glance at the broken window before jumping on the bike and taking off a little faster than he should've, pealing down the street.

* * *

Bakura recognized Ryou's handwriting on the post-it note attached to the front cover, positioned to completely cover the title.

_I DIDN'T READ IT. _

Bakura's heart sank. Was he actually disappointed? He looked downwards in the direction of where the front porch was.

_He came all the way over here… he was standing right outside… and I didn't know it. _

It pained Malik to see Bakura so sad and quiet. "Are you alright, Bakura?"

Bakura looked up at Malik and sighed, not sure what to say. Malik sat down beside Bakura on the bed, scooting close by his side and resting his chin on Bakura's shoulder.

"Don't worry. This is temporary. A bump in the road. After you and Ryou have had a little breathing room, a little time to cool off, maybe you can meet again and talk things out."

"Maybe he did read it and he's so mortified by what I wrote, that he wants to pretend it never happened."

"No. Why would Ryou be mortified to know that you love him? Anyone would be thrilled. I'd be thrilled."

"I do."

"Hm?"

"I… I'm… quite fond of you, Malik." Bakura blushed as he said that.

Malik smiled. "You're so shy, Bakura, especially considering we've already made love." Reaching down for Bakura's hand, Malik interlaced their fingers. "Once you're healed up, we'll do it again. I love you, Bakura. I've loved you since Battle City."

Bakura didn't know how to respond to that. "Thanks", he said, instantly feeling lame. His face was burning up.

Malik leaned towards him. Bakura thought he was going to kiss him, but instead, Malik simply laid his palm against the side of Bakura's face.

"Your face is so hot. I'd better take your temperature."

They both knew the real reason for Bakura's warming face, but Bakura didn't stop Malik from standing up. Before the Egyptian could reach the door, however, Bakura called out to him.

Malik half-turned, looking sideways at Bakura over his shoulder—his smooth, bronze shoulder which was exposed because Malik was wearing his trademark lavender midi. Bakura was struck by how sexy Malik looked.

"Can you get me a pen?"

"You're getting ideas? That's great, BakuChan."

Bakura inwardly winced at being called _BakuChan _by someone other than Ryou.

* * *

Ryou and Jouno were curled up on the couch in the living room. Jouno had called a repair man, who was upstairs fixing the window. He had also ordered his driver to bring them some takeout, plus a bottle of high quality sake. It was a rather large bottle. Ryou was hoping desperately that Jouno would let him keep whatever they couldn't drink right now.

"… and then I shoved it into their mailbox and ran off. I don't think anyone saw me."

"You think you can pretend you didn't read it? You think you can face Bakura after all this and pretend like everything's the same? Not possible. Face reality, Ryou."

Ryou looked at Jouno's cold, somber expression. "Who am I talking to right now?"

He poured another drink of sake and sipped it thoughtfully. "He's in love with you. He has sexual fantasies about you. You can't live and act like twin brothers anymore."

"Tell me who you are."

"Stop changing the subject. It doesn't matter who I am. The important thing is, you got me in a good mood, so I feel like listening to you. What I don't get is why you're so loathe to having sex with Bakura. He's beautiful, just as beautiful as you."

"That's the problem. He looks exactly like me. It's creepy. After Battle City ended and the yamis got their own bodies, I welcomed Bakura into my home and tried to get along with him. He has my face, and even took my name. How else could I think of him except as a brother?"

"You're similar. Not related. This is a stupid thing to get hung up on."

"No. It's not stupid, it's disturbing. You don't know what it's like to have these feelings about someone I've considered family up until now."

Jouno glared Ryou down, and Ryou could tell he'd said something very wrong.

"What is it? Why are you glaring at me like that?"

He kept staring.

"Say something!"

"I know what it's like."

Jouno looked away, seeming to have no intention of saying any more, so Ryou prodded him. "You can't say something like that and just clam up. Tell me what you mean by that."

Jouno wouldn't look at him.

"Are you scared that if you talk about yourself I'll figure out who you really are? I mean, who you were when you were alive?"

Jouno looked at him, his steely gaze speaking volumes.

"I don't care about that. You haven't even told me your first name, age, nationality; I don't even know what century you lived in. Your secret is completely safe."

Jouno took a long, deep breath in through his nostrils, and sighed it out through his mouth. He spoke slowly, carefully: "I was a twin. When we were twelve, our dad forced us to have sex while he watched. I fell in love with my twin brother. We had a sexual relationship that lasted until my demise."

Ryou almost said, _Are you fucking kidding me! _but knew that would not go over well. His mouth was hanging open.

"So I know exactly how you feel, but I don't understand why you're holding back. If you love someone, it doesn't matter who they are or what they look like. I suppose that's why Becca and I are so at home with Jouno… we all know what it's like to love someone desperately and have the whole universe in our face, screaming 'NO'."

Ryou snapped his mouth shut and gulped.

"Are you shocked?"

"No", he said, even though he clearly was. "What does any of this matter to you?" he said, desperate to change the subject. "I thought you hated Bakura. You tried to kill us in December."

"I'll try again soon enough. But killing someone doesn't mean you hate them."

"Y—" Ryou stopped himself before he could say, _You're such a freak. _Jouno took a sip directly from the sake bottle, regarding Ryou with a sad, thoughtful expression. Ryou felt like he was looking in a mirror.

_So, we're both fucked up perverts. But I was never molested… I have no excuse for turning out the way I did…_

"You hate yourself. You deserve to suffer."

"What…?"

"Ryou, you're beautiful and you're a good fuck, but you've got a rotten personality. You act nice, and you're good at it, but I can see your true nature. You're judgmental, hateful, and selfish. You tried for days to reach me, but not because you cared about Jouno. You wanted to get off. That's all you care about because that's the only feeling you can handle."

* * *

_My love for you is still mine_

_Wanna be traumatized? Well my child, just open your eyes_

_And look at who you really are, see what you've become_

_The mirror's cracked and filthy, hates what it reflects_

_The house is empty, the hearth is dead and everything's been wrecked_

_All I needed was one heart-shaped sticker on my journal page_

_But what you did gave me courage to step up on the stage_

_And scream my rage at you_

_And tell you what to do_

_If you want to see me again_

_Then die, my former friend_

_My love for you, it's still alive_

_It's here in my heart. My heart, my life, my will, they're all still mine._

Bakura put the pen down, sighing out a long, slow breath, and assessing what he'd just written. He thought about the last time he'd seen Ryou, experienced Ryou's combination of tenderness and cruelty…

He picked up the pen and started writing again.

_Still mine, yet they're all for you, gifts that wait, gifts that you won't ever accept_

_I'd rather die and go to hell than keep waiting here in purgatory_

_I hate being in love. This is the true hell…_

_I want to write an end to our stupid "love" story_

_So badly I want this to end_

_I don't care if it's comic or tragic, so long as it ends_

_And since you refuse to cooperate_

_I'll have to end things for you_

Bakura stopped and looked at the last line.

_It sounds like I want to murder him! _

He sighed. _That might actually be for the best. _

Malik came in with some lunch on a tray—a peanut butter sandwich, a glass of lemonade, and a small bowl of potato chips. "I hope I'm not interrupting, BakuChan."

"Please stop calling me that. Bakura's fine."

Malik sat on the bed and held the tray, waiting for Bakura to set his notebook aside. "Can I see what you've written?"

"No, it's first draft. Very rough."

"I bet it's amazing. Sakuma San says you've got a gift for writing, and he's a legend, so I have no doubt."

Bakura looked at the food. "I'm not hungry right now."

"Okay. I'll set it here on the nightstand, then. Is there anything you need right now?"

Bakura sat there taking in the sight of Malik's sweet, loving expression. It was kind of a miracle—someone loved him. He caressed the side of Malik's face.

"Malik…. Kiss me, Malik."

He smiled and did so easily, a soft, tender, slow kiss. Malik kept his face close to Bakura's, lust in his lavender eyes, his breathing a bit heavy. "I wish we could make love right now. But I know we can't yet. I don't want to hurt you, BakuCh—Bakura."

Malik's hand had wandered downwards as he spoke, and landed on Bakura's crotch. He gently rubbed Bakura through the sheets, a sweet, shy grin on his face. "Um, would you like a blowjob?"

Bakura had never heard the word _blowjob_ before, but since Malik was rubbing his crotch while saying it, he thought it must be another way of saying hand job. "Thanks, but I'm too tired to do any such thing right now. If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."

Malik removed his hand from Bakura. "Alright, then. I guess we'll have plenty of time to explore in the near future. Near, _near,_ future. Goodnight, Bakura." He slid off the bed and left, leaving the door open.

Leaning into his mountain of pillows, eyes drifting closed, Bakura pondered what to do about Ryou.

_If I kill him, the possibility of being his lover will vanish. If I kill him, I won't have to worry about pleasing him again. If I kill him, I won't ever have to think about him again. _

_But can I do it?_

_It's strange, this attachment I feel to him. He's no longer my vessel. He's worthless to me now. Yet, I "need" him in a way that is completely unnecessary, but utterly undeniable. If I wasn't so pathetically weak right now—_

_-thanks to him!—_

_- I'd run screaming into his arms and beg him to be my lover. _

_He hates me. I should kill him. Would anyone care? _

_I'd care._

_FUCK!_

* * *

**20**

**eye of the beholder**

**finish**


	21. The Small Hours

**Chapter 21**

**The Small Hours**

**XXX**

It was early morning. Kaiba was sitting behind his desk, and seated on the chair before him was Ezra Dodd, aka GoldenEyes. Ezra had declined an offer of coffee, and sat there twiddling his fingers, his golden eyes wide and curious.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Okay."

"You've been exchanging e-mails with Jouno Wheeler…"

"No I haven't. No offense, but he's kind of an asshole."

"Jouno Wheeler's online name is GoldenPuppy. You've been exchanging e-mails with him about pornographic image sites."

Ezra turned bright red.

"I don't care what kind of porn you're into. I want you to get closer to Wheeler and get something on him."

"Get something on him? Like blackmail stuff?"

"Info about the game he's designing, proof that he attacked Dr. Wong; proof that he's committing any crimes at all."

"Mr. Kaiba, he's… he's… scary. And mean. Our last encounter was pretty horrible."

"So you can't do it."

Ezra shook his head. "I suck at being deceptive. There's no way Jouno Wheeler would believe me suddenly wanting to be his friend."

"Fine. This isn't a request, it's an order. Get closer to Wheeler and help me bring him down, or you can kiss it all goodbye. The apartment, the posh private school, the sessions with Dr. Wong. I'll ship you right back to America because I don't actually need you for anything, do I?"

Ezra started weeping right away. "No. Please, don't."

"So you'll do it?"

Ezra nodded, wiping the tears from his face. "I hate that guy…"

Kaiba rose from the desk, starting to leave. "I've told Dr. Wong's assistant to schedule your sessions closer together. That's your in, Ezra. Don't fuck it up."

XXX

Bags packed, Seto and Mokuba got into one of their cars—a black BMW, which was less conspicuous than one of their limos or the Rolls Royce— and the two Kaiba brothers departed while it was still dark so they could start this special weekend as early as possible. Mokuba spent the entire ride curled up against Seto's side, blanket wrapped around his tiny body, safe and comfortable with the reassuring warmth of Seto beside him, resting his head on Seto's chest and listening to the gentle thrumming of his brother's heartbeat .

XXX

They arrived just before dawn. Mokuba wanted to stick his head out the window and get a look at the beach house, but Seto held him back. Just inside the window, Mokuba could feel, smell and taste the crisp salty ocean air. In the distance he saw the outline of his birthday gift—it was the beach house Seto had purchased for the sole purpose of giving them a whole weekend of privacy.

_This'll be wonderful. Just me and Seto. We'll splash around in the water, and build sand castles, and have barbecue and toasted marshmallows under the stars. No business calls, no typing endlessly on his computer, no "Later, Mokuba". This weekend will belong to me and Big Brother! _

XXX

In the shallow water on the beach, it was okay for Mokuba to strip down to his trunks, because no one else was around who would stare at the scars.

Seeing the scars that covered Mokuba's tiny body ripped Kaiba's heart in half. Some of the scars were precise, straight, surgical markings that had saved his life. Seeing those scars made Seto Kaiba sick with dread at how for a short time, he'd lost the most important person in his life. But worse than the surgical scars were the scars from the attack.

All over Mokuba's lower belly were rough, fading little half-moon bite marks. There were more on and around his genital region, thankfully hidden by his trunks. On Mokuba's arms were jagged bite marks from monstrous dogs that Jouno had set loose on Mokuba. And worst of all was the scar that went all the way around Mokuba's neck. Catching sight of that scar never failed to turn Kaiba's stomach. This had happened because Mokuba was the person Seto Kaiba loved most in the world. Jouno had gone mad and done this because—

—"_I'm in love with you, Kaiba!"—_

Kaiba wondered how much of that night Jouno remembered. The candles, the "gift"—

–"_You want him so badly? Fine, I'll show you Mokuba."—_

–the black leather, bondage and sexual assaults. Jouno was definitely a sicko, and for better or worse, he was in love with Kaiba. And Kaiba was in love with—

Seto violently shook his head.

_No. No. _

_Wheeler… for what you did to Mokuba, I'll never forgive you! _

"Big Brother, come on! There's no point in going to the beach if you don't get in the water." Mokuba splashed around a little and beckoned to Seto.

_Push those thoughts away. Keep it light… for Mokie. _

There was no one around to see him smiling and splashing around in the water with his baby brother, looking like a regular teenage boy having fun. Although he'd never tell admit this to anyone, Seto did like being forced to do regular "fun" things with Mokuba once in a while.

After a while one of the guards informed them that the barbecue was ready, so they came out and washed the ocean water off, both feeling happy and relaxed. They didn't bother changing out of their swimwear, since they would be dining out on the patio, where it was nice and warm. Later, they roasted marshmallows and spent hours gazing up at the stars, listening to the waves and talking about nothing in particular.

XXX

Fortunately, they managed to get rid of the ridiculous name _Bi-Bi_ for their band. It went from _Tragically Malicious, _to _Tragi-Mal, _to _To-Ra-Ma._ The individual syllables meant _Father-Sun God-Demon_; if you said it quickly, it sounded like _Trauma. _Bakura liked it.

"Are you hungry, Bakura?"

The three blondes were in the garage of Malik and Mariku's house, where K San had helped them set up their equipment. Bakura was writing lyrics, aided by Malik and Mariku playing random snatches of music, the three of them getting more familiar with each other, finding their sound, their rhythm.

Bakura looked up from his writing. Malik's question pulled him out of his reverie, and he noticed a profound ache in his midsection.

"Yeah… Damn, I'm starving."

Malik headed for the door that led to the rest of the house. "I'll go toss a frozen pizza into the oven, hope that's okay."

Bakura watched him leave.

Mariku strummed his bass guitar.

"That sounds amazing."

"Don't get too excited, this is from _Love Buzz_. Never heard it?"

Bakura shook his head.

"We've got most of Nirvana's albums— Bleach, Nevermind, In Utero, Incesticide, Live in NY… we've also got some Foo Fighters. You should expand your horizons."

"Yeah, I like Foo Fighters. Everlong, Best of You, the Pretender."

"You know Dave Grohl used to be in Nirvana, right? Before he formed the Foo Fighters, he was Nirvana's drummer."

"No, didn't know that."

"I'm glad you're doing this with us. This'll be amazing. We can tour the world, girls'll be screaming our names in a hundred different languages. Not to mention we'll be rich."

"I didn't know you cared about any of those things."

Mariku smiled at Bakura, then went back to adjusting the strings on his bass.

"Malik doesn't care about that either. When you two started playing, you were doing it for fun, not profit. This band, this new ambition, it's all for me, isn't it?"

Mariku looked up at Bakura, the corners of his mouth perked in a gentle, but still craggy and evil, smile.

"You're trying to take my mind off of Ryou. Give me something to do that won't get me killed."

Mariku took his guitar off and set it on its stand, then swaggered over to Bakura. "That's probably the reason Malik's so gung ho about it, but know this: you have what it takes to be legendary, and not as the Thief King. When you sing… your voice, it's like a drug. I wanna be there when the world discovers you."

Bakura felt tingling warmth from his shoulders up. "Why are you saying all this?"

Mariku smirked and pressed his lips against Bakura's. They kissed softly, slowly, a small non-French kiss. Malik walked in, and they parted.

"It'll be ready in, like, ten minutes. Wanna head to the living room and find a movie to watch?"

Malik didn't seem bothered at all that they'd been kissing. Bakura found himself fascinated by the Egyptians' unique morality.

XXX

Ezra's next session with Dr. Paoma was Sunday morning. As he sat straight upright, hands clenched on his knees, every muscle incapable of unclenching, Jouno strutted in, glanced at him, then went to sign in at the desk.

Ezra knew the first step was to strike up a conversation, but he didn't think he could make it seem natural. He was a shitty conversationalist on his own; there was no way he could do it with an agenda.

Then Jouno was smiling down at him, strolling over. "Hey. You're Ezra, right? Saw you at the hospital." He sat down right next to Ezra.

He stuck his face very close, his brown eyes glinting, his smile very winning. "Listen, Ez, I'm sorry about that little fit I threw. I was completely out of line. You forgive me, right?"

Jouno's hand was thrust out expectantly. Ezra looked down at it for a second. He was still angry about that incident—he still remembered Jouno roughing him up, screaming in his face. He didn't want to forgive. Fighting flashbacks, he forced himself to shake Jouno's hand. He calmed himself by thinking, _Shake, Puppy! _and found himself able to smile.

XXX

Malik had chosen a show called _Supernatural_. It was about these two brothers who traveled around fighting ghosts and monsters.

Bakura had finished his slice of pizza, but wanted to see how the show ended. Sam and Dean, the brothers on the show, were hunting a shapeshifter. There was a gross scene of the shapeshifter shedding, ripping its disguise skin off to reveal the monster beneath. Watching, Bakura immediately thought of Ryou.

_So beautiful, yet something twisted and ugly lurks beneath. All he wants is to be loved, but he wants it on his own fucked-up terms. No one will love you, Ryou. _

XXX

Strolling through the park had seemed like a nice idea.

"Why'd you come to Japan?"

Ezra shrugged. "I love the culture. Had a chance to come out here, pounced on it."

"Don't you miss America?"

"Not at all. This is my home now."

"So you don't have any family back home?"

"No."

"No siblings? Where are your parents?"

Ezra had felt uneasy for a while, but now he realized why—he felt like he was being interrogated. He knew Jouno didn't have the right to ask him all these questions, but he didn't know how to make him stop asking them.

"I don't really like answering a bunch of questions."

"Sorry, I'm just curious. So, no older brothers?"

"No."

"Really. I see." Jouno was smiling, but something unpleasant lurked beneath the surface, as if he knew Ezra was lying to him.

_But that can't be_, Ezra thought to himself. _Creepy… it's as if he's peering into my soul. _

Ezra frowned at the sun, which was turning reddish as it sank towards the horizon. "It's getting dark… I need to go home."

Jouno stayed glued to where he was standing, and Ezra felt like he shouldn't try to leave. Jouno looked like a cat smiling at a cute little bird that he wants to savor before devouring.

"I need to go home", he repeated, his voice wavering.

"Are you…" Jouno let the sentence hang, and though his lips weren't moving—Ezra would know, with his gaze locked helplessly on the other boy's mouth—the end of that question was plain enough, practically an auditory hallucination:

… _scared of me? _

They stood frozen for a long moment before Ezra jumped at the sudden heat of Jouno's hand clamping down over his wrist.

"Are you cold? Ez?"

"Please don't call me that."

"Are you cold, Ezra?" Jouno was leaning closer to him now. If Ezra hadn't leaned back, their lips would have come into contact with each other.

"No. I'm fine."

"You sure? I can feel you trembling."

When Ezra tried to pull away, Jouno's grip tightened so quickly and with such monstrous strength that Ezra screamed. No one was around to hear it.

XXX

Later that night Bakura heard something and, investigating, found that Malik and Mariku were having sex. He decided to observe—not to be a voyeur, but because he was curious as to how they interacted when he wasn't around.

The first thing he noticed was their breathing, heavy gasps and sighs, small moans. He couldn't see what was happening—they were in their bed with the covers pulled over them. He thought about asking them to turn on the light and remove the covers, but alerting them to his presence would ruin the purpose of observing.

He heard smacking. They were kissing. Malik started moaning, prolonged vocalizations of pure pleasure.

Mariku growled, "You like that?"

"Yes", replied Malik between gasps. "Keep doing it… just like… _Ah! Ahh…_"

Bakura swallowed, peering through the darkness at their forms moving under the covers. _What on earth is he doing to make Malik sound like that? _

"You ready?"

"I think so… _mmh… _ Feels good…"

_He sounds entirely different from our encounter. I must've been lousy… _Bakura shook his head. _Can't be helped. It was my first time, and I was bruised and weak. Besides, Malik wasn't out to satisfy himself. He was doing it as a kindness. _

"I'm entering now."

Malik moaned.

_Entering now? Mariku just inserted himself? What the hell were they doing before? Were they simply kissing? What sort of kissing caused Malik to moan and gasp like that? _

Bakura had hoped for some enlightenment from this observation, but he found himself getting more and more confused. He didn't realize when it happened, but he somehow wound up crumpling to the floor, curled against the wall, hugging his knees in agony because of his overwhelming arousal. If he'd been at Ryou's house he might not have done what he was about to do.

At first he simply rubbed himself through the crotch of his pants, but that soon proved insufficient, so he reached in and started rubbing and stroking in his own semi-experienced way. Listening to Malik's soft moans and Mariku's murmurs and growls, Bakura quickly came to a climax, ejaculating into his hand. Embarrassed by his actions and location, he escaped to his guestroom, where he could wash up and dig himself into the comfort of his bed, scribbling purple prose about Ryou.

XXX

By mid-morning Monday, they were on their way home. Mokuba was asleep, curled against Seto's side in the back seat of the car. Seto had his arm wrapped around his little brother, and a tiny perk in his lips. The beach was receding out the window, salty breeze soon to be a memory. Seto breathed it in one last time as they sped away from it.

_It went perfectly. I hope you enjoyed your gift, Mokie. You deserved some peace for once. No paparazzi, no business crap, and you didn't get kidnapped for the umpteenth time. _

He leaned over and kissed the top of Mokuba's head.

_I love you, Little Brother. _

Then the idiot driver decided to talk.

"Sir, we got an urgent call this morning. When can I relay the message?"

"Not until we get home. Eyes on the road." With those words, Seto pressed a button to raise the partition.

But now Seto would be wondering what the news was for the rest of the drive. _Great… _

He glanced down at Mokuba, who was still sleeping, then sighed and pressed the button, lowering the partition. "Relay the message."

"Ezra Dodd's been murdered."

Seto's immediate response: "What have they done with the corpse?"

XXX

The work was flowing extra well tonight—Jouno felt focused and relaxed, as if he'd poured out all his tension and rage with the cum.

He leaned to the side, away from his keyboard, and scribbled on a notepad he had sitting next to the computer.

_You must march through hell to get to Duelist's Paradise_

He rubbed his mouth, put the pencil down. _That could be a good tagline, I guess. _

Schroeder stopped by to say goodnight. When Jouno asked how the case was going, Schroeder said there wouldn't be a trial, then winked. Though Jouno found himself wondering what unethical means Schroeder had used to tuck this away, he wasn't all that concerned, since for once he was on the beneficial end of it.

His phone rang.

"Hello."

"Good evening, Jouno", said Paoma Wong. "I'm sorry to call you so late, but I was wondering if you could answer a few questions."

Jouno tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder so he could keep typing, albeit with more effort. "Mm-hm, about what?"

"Ezra was attacked last night, nearly killed. My secretary saw you talking to him in the waiting room. She says you then waited while Ezra was in session, and left with him. That's the last time anyone saw Ezra before the attack."

"Really?"

"Would you mind telling me what happened between you two?"

"Yeah, no problem. I treated him to lunch, just a little peace offering for that incident at the hospital. Parted ways about 1:30 or so."

"Did you see anything? Did Ezra tell you where he was going after that?"

"Nah, didn't say. Sorry." Jouno paused for a split-second, then stopped typing and took the phone in hand. "Sorry, you said he was attacked? Nearly killed?"

"Yes. He's still in critical condition, but I have a lot of faith in him."

Jouno snorted softly. _She almost sounds like she actually cares. How odd._

Jouno rubbed his eyes. "Is he at the same hospital you went to? Maybe I'll stop by with some flowers."

"No, he's at a special facility at Kaiba Corp. Like I said, he's in critical condition, so I don't know when we'll be able to see him again."

Jouno sneered. _I knew he'd do that! _

XXX

Ryou barely realized what was happening—it was dark and muggy; the alley had almost no visibility. He stumbled over his own feet as he tried to keep up. He was dragged by the front of his shirt just behind a couple of dumpsters, then shoved hard against the brick wall. The man who was holding him smelled like booze, cigarette smoke, and old newspapers. Ryou could barely see him, but his eyes glittered furiously in the faint light, like the eyes of a terrified rat. He heard the gun being cocked before he looked down and saw light glinting off the barrel.

"Gimme your money", the guy yelled, his voice wavering all over the place. He was either freaked out or really drunk. Ryou judged from the man's stink that he was really, really drunk.

He shoved the gun towards Ryou's face. "See this? I'll blast your face off if you don't gimme all your cash and your phone right now!"

"Blast my face off?" Ryou blinked, his eyes a little wet. His brow was furrowed in a state of sad confusion. "You're saying you're going to kill me?"

"Only if you keep stalling."

Tears welled up in Ryou's eyes. When he blinked, they tumbled down his face. "Please…" his voice was small and soft, barely more than a whisper.

"Please, please… don't miss." With those words, Ryou lowered his head and opened his mouth around the barrel of the gun. Eyes closed, he waited.

After a few seconds, the guy got over his shock enough to back away. Ryou looked up at him, sniffling and blinking more tears down. "Wait. Please…"

The guy backed further, faster. "You're crazy." He turned and ran.

"What the fuck are you doing?" snarled Ryou. "Get back here and kill me, you dickless bastard! Fuck!"

Ryou kicked over a few garbage cans that were nearby, then kicked the brick wall until he broke his foot.

**XXX**

**21**

**the small hours**

**finish**


	22. Tuesday's Gone

**22- Tuesday's Gone**

XXX

The phone rang at about 4 a.m.

"Hello," said a cordial automated voice, "nobody is here to take your call. Please leave a message after the beep." _–beep—_

"Bakura? I'm in the hospital. I kicked a wall too hard and broke my foot. Then when the paramedics arrived I punched one of them in the balls…" a hollow, half-crazed laugh. "Listen, Bakura. Ever since you came into my life, I have always hated you…"

A lone figure shuffled nearer to the table where the phone sat, his slim body and fluffy hair cutting a swatch through the pre-pre-dawn gloom.

"… I always hated you and wished you would die, or be banished to the shadow realm; that somehow you'd leave my life. But these past few days without you… I thought I was finally free… it was nice at first… but these days— they haven't been as pleasant as I thought they'd be. I shocked myself by actually missing you. My life, my whole existence is worthless… pointless. But when I'm with you, it doesn't feel that way. I don't want to say this, but I need to. It's the truth… I miss you. I miss you so much, Bakura…" A low, rough growl of self-consciousness, then, "I don't know what I'm saying, forget it! I don't need you, you dipshit! Fuck!" -_click-_

_-beep._

Mariku looked down the hall, at the doors to the bedrooms. Bakura's door was silent, as was Malik's. Satisfied that they both were sound asleep, he sneered down at the machine.

"Nice apology, Asshole." He stabbed the _delete_ button a little harder than necessary.

XXX

Ryou, laid out in the hospital bed, barely managed to drop the phone back into its base before collapsing against the mountain of pillows stacked behind him.

His gaze drifted over to the windows, at the glowing, silvery moon.

_From now on, whenever I see anything silvery and beautiful, I'll think of him. _He absentmindedly reached under his covers and started rubbing his crotch through the fabric of his hospital gown.

_I could've had him at any time and I never fucking noticed it. If I'd tried to kiss him, he would've been happy about it, not repulsed. _

He didn't acknowledge the tiny glass-like beads that welled from between his closed eyelids. His hand moved quicker over his swelling erection while the fingertips of his other hand danced lightly over his neck, chest, and limbs; the pad of each slender, pale digit barely brushed the surface.

_I'm going to take him. Make him mine. I don't care what he looks like. He possessed me against my will when we first met. It's my turn now, Thief King Bakura. I will take you and possess you. You will belong to me. _

XXX

In the morning, when Bakura woke, Malik and Mariku were gone and there was a note taped to the bathroom mirror.

_You were sleeping, so we let you rest. We'll be back soon with breakfast! _

_*heart* M+M_

Bakura had never realized handwriting could be so cheerful.

After he brushed his teeth he stood staring at his reflection in the mirror, thinking about Ryou. He relaxed his facial muscles, softening his features, and it was easy to imagine he was face to face with his beloved hikari again.

_I used to spend every day with him… we were inseparable, like family. He must've hated me the whole time. _

He walked through the house, making sure everything was as it should be. He paused every so often to stretch slowly, leisurely, like a cat. Nothing much was on his mind while he did this; no thoughts of Ryou, and no thoughts of world domination or Millennium items.

He went and sat at the kitchen table with his notebook. A song he'd just finished was bothering him because some of the lyrics didn't rhyme, so singing it was a clunky experience. It was like a vacation for his soul.

XXX

They unzipped the large black body bag and pulled back the flap, revealing the corpse. His skin, once a healthy bronze, was now white, and his lips were blue, but other than some hand impressions around his throat, Ezra Dodd's body was in remarkably good condition.

Seto Kaiba wasn't emotionally invested in the well-being of Ezra Dodd, but he was emotionally invested in advancing the technology he'd used to save Mokuba, so he would seize this opportunity to learn more and further his research by saving Ezra, or rather, bringing him back to life.

_This will be a challenge, to say the least. He died in summer and had time to start decomposing. Brain death is a given, same as Mokuba's case, but I'm certain it's more severe in this instance. _

"Let's begin."

XXX

Ryou was surprised when Jouno walked into his room, holding up a gift bag.

"How did you know I was here, Joseph?"

"I guess you don't remember. You drunk-dialed me at about 4am this morning." He eyed the IV drip of pain medication. "Or, I guess you stoned-dialed me."

Jouno handed Ryou the gift bag. "Brought you something. Open it and we can use it right now."

It was a cardboard box, clean and new. On the glossy front of the box was a photo of an attractive woman modeling the item inside the box—a ball gag.

It was high-quality, to be sure. The strap was black leather, and the ball part of the gag had air holes in it. "This is wonderful. Thank you, Joey."

"Come here", Jouno said. Ryou leaned forward and Jouno put it on for him. Ryou found the feel of the ball held fast between his teeth deeply satisfying on some basal level.

"Do you like it?"

Instead of nodding or trying to speak, Ryou leaned back and slightly parted his legs.

Jouno was climbing onto the bed, crawling over to cover Ryou's body with his own. He licked, nibbled, and breathed down Ryou's earlobe, neck, collarbone. Ryou shivered and writhed with pleasure, a bit slow and awkward due to his broken foot and drugged state.

Jouno caressed him slowly, lightly, with just his fingertips. Somehow that gentle, lingering touch aroused him so much more, maddeningly so. Soon, Ryou was fully aroused and Jouno began to worship Ryou's cock with his lips and tongue and teeth, just enough to make Ryou moan into the gag.

Jouno's movements were languid as he slid his tongue up and down, one palm flat against Ryou's abdomen, the other digging its fingers into Ryou's side. It all felt so good, Ryou didn't even care if he came.

Jouno slowly brought Ryou to his climax, then kept his mouth clamped around the tip, swallowing it all.

As Jouno sat up, wiping his mouth, Ryou spread his legs open as far as he could , trying to invite Jouno in.

"Not yet, Kiddo. We can do that when you get home." He leaned forward, hot whisper against Ryou's earlobe:

"Then you can scream all you want."

XXX

When Malik and Mariku got home with breakfast, Bakura was sitting at the kitchen table, scribbling into his songbook, fully focused, like it was the only thing that mattered.

"How long have you been awake?" asked Malik as he and Mariku set the paper bags on the table.

"Dunno. An hour, I guess."

"Damn. Sorry we kept you waiting so long."

"It's fine. I was working on _The Light Died While the Skies Cried_."

"_Brokedown Reflection_ is a better title, I think."

"No, I already finished that. This is a new song."

Malik's eyebrows lifted and Mariku made an impressed sound. They joined him at the table, unpacking the food and serving it onto paper plates.

"You're really into this, aren't you?"

Bakura shrugged. "It's flowing like crazy. I don't think I could stop it if I wanted to."

Malik smiled a small, secretive smile. "Hey, Bakura, before you woke up this morning, we got a phone call."

Mariku stopped chewing and frowned daggers at Malik, who told him, "Sorry I didn't tell you, but I wanted to wait 'til we were all together."

_Shit, did that asshole call back? _Mariku weighed the pros and cons of several different ways he could quiet his hikari, some violent, some lusty. Before he could follow through on any of his thoughts, Malik was continuing, "It was Sakuma San. He wants us to join him for a photo shoot."

Bakura could not have looked more unimpressed. He didn't even pull his nose out of his songbook. "Stand around for hours and watch them snap a few hundred pictures of him? Sounds like a fucking bore."

"No, he wants us to be in the pictures with him. It's for a spread that's going to be in a magazine." Malik beamed.

Bakura looked up from his songbook, over his cooling food. "No one will know who the hell we are."

"Soon everyone will know who we are. The photos are gonna be for an article about how Sakuma San discovered us."

XXX

_Too eager to further your precious research, eh, Kaiba? Should've stopped to think—everyone's heard of the Trojan Horse. _

After Ezra's body was hooked up to Kaiba Corp computers, Jouno was granted an all-access pass. Though it seemed foolish, Jouno couldn't fault Seto completely— since the man didn't believe in evil spirits, in his mind it was impossible for an evil spirit to send a small portion of himself from a dead body, through wires, and into Kaiba's own backyard.

Jouno could've crashed through, destroying everything in his path, and he would've liked to; but it was not in his best interest to call attention to himself right now. He snuck in and crept around as quietly as a church mouse.

-Kaiba Corp systems/

Financial/

Medical/

Corporate/

Public Relations/

Archives/

Games/-

/designsanddevelopment

/faustusdodd kaibacorp

/desktop

/documents

/garbage

-garbage files

/-giga grave

/-game skeleton

/- player interface

/- notes

XXX

Ryou was discharged after a few days, and Jouno was there with his driver to pick him up.

It was morning, slightly cool and soft gray. Jouno was surprisingly kind and gentle as he helped Ryou into the back seat of the shiny black car, then went in to sit beside him.

When he felt Jouno's fingers interlacing with his own, he gave the blonde boy's hand a light squeeze.

Ryou glanced into Jouno's chocolaty brown eyes and wondered if perhaps Jouno felt any genuine affection for him. He opened his mouth to ask, but, realizing it would be a dumbshit thing to say, closed his trap again without speaking. They rode the rest of the way to Ryou's house in silence, fingers staying interwoven.

XXX

"What's that?" Bakura said a bit loudly as he leaned away from the hair stylist—at least, as far as he could in the steel chair.

The brush in the hair stylist's hand had a small smear of some purple substance on its bristles. "We're just going to give you a little streak of lavender off your right temple, Sweetie. So you match your band mates."

Bakura looked over at Malik and Mariku, who were done with makeup and running around goggling at everything. Malik was wearing that lavender midi he had an endless supply of, and Mariku's hair, which had astonishingly been teased even fluffier than usual, had a prominent streak at the temple, the shade matching Malik's shirt.

_How fucking lame! _

Malik noticed him staring, and came running over. "Hurry up, Bakura! You're taking too long! I can't wait to see you with lavender hair, it'll look so cute."

Bakura sighed, eyeing the brush. "How long would it last?"

"A couple of days."

Bakura eyed the brush some more. The brush seemed to be eyeing him back, giving off waves of inevitability. Bakura let out another big sigh.

"Fine. Just a couple of days, right?"

XXX

Ryou was sitting on his living room couch with Jouno. The sun outside was bright, making Ryou squint.

"So they'll remove the cast in just a couple of weeks? I find that hard to believe."

Ryou shrugged, "Apparently I'm a fast healer."

"Are you on pain meds?"

Ryou held up a jar of big white pills. "They gave me these, but I haven't taken any yet."

Jouno grabbed the jar out of Ryou's hand.

"What are you doing?"

Jouno smiled evilly at him, then slapped the cast on Ryou's foot and laughed at Ryou's cry of pain.

"Damnit, Joey, what the fuck is your problem!"

Then Jouno was on top of him, pushing him down into the couch cushions. He giggled, "You're so cute, Ryou. You're so beautiful." His hands went tight around Ryou's neck.

It wasn't the same as in the past—Ryou wasn't prepared, or even slightly in the mood. He was exhausted and injured, and stupid enough that he'd hoped Jouno would continue to treat him kindly, maybe even nurse him back to health.

He fought, hands swinging wildly above him, but he could barely see what he was doing. Jouno leaned forward, letting his golden bangs droop downward. "Here, pull my hair."

Ryou grabbed the offered locks and yanked, intending to rip them out, but he wasn't strong enough, and they stayed attached to Jouno's head. Jouno groaned, "Harder!" and Ryou obliged. Then he dug his fingers deeper into Jouno's hair, yanking on a great big handful.

Jouno moaned louder, moving against Ryou now, hardening against his thigh. Ryou was stunned to realize he was getting hard, too.

_Must be the friction._ "Oh, fuck…!" he grinded his hips against Jouno, yanking again on his hair, then letting go to slap him hard across the face. Jouno laughed, an almost child-like joy in his beaming smile, like it was the most perfect thing that could have happened.

His hands left Ryou's sore neck, sweeping into his hair, pulling his bangs away from his forehead. Jouno was over him now, gazing intently into his eyes, moving faster against him.

Ryou gulped. "So, what, we're not even gonna strip?"

In response, Jouno leaned down and clamped his teeth shut on Ryou's neck. Ryou groaned loudly at the pain, moaned at the friction. Jouno was biting him too hard—he had to be breaking the skin.

_Oh God, he's about to rip my throat out! This hurts so much…! _Ryou's groaning turned into a rising scream, turned into words:

"Just a little deeper, COME ON!"

He gripped Jouno's shoulders and screamed as he came.

XXX

_… 'cause when I'm with him I am thinking of you, thinking of you… _

Bakura jumped at the feel of Malik's hand clamping down on his shoulder, and tore the ear buds out of his ears. He almost snapped at the Egyptian, but a glance told him Malik was excited about some really good news.

"Look, Bakura! ShuChan's here!"

The pink-haired lead singer of Bad Luck was standing not far away, chatting with Sakuma San and Mariku.

"Maybe he'll get in on the shoot. How epic would it be, all of us in the same place!"

In the end, everyone seemed to have a wonderful time, though Bakura was only sort of aware of his surroundings for most of the time. After they got group shots, they shot smaller groups—Sakuma San with ShuChan (they looked almost exactly alike save for their differing hair colors); Malik with Mariku and Bakura; Malik and Mariku using their physical resemblance to do some nice twin centric poses; then some individual shots of first Sakuma San, then ShuChan.

Just when Bakura was wondering if they'd be ready to go home yet, he realized the photographer was calling out to him. He looked up.

"Yeah, you! White-hair!" Someone whispered into the photographer's ear. "Bakura! It's your turn, Kid."

They wanted to do some individual shots of him. "No, I'd rather not…"

"You're the singer. Everyone expects it."

He shook his head and walked away.

He went downstairs and parked himself near a window, putting in his ear buds and listening to 'Thinking of You' by Katy Perry.

_… how do I get better once I've had the best… _

He saw a flash and looked up. There was the photographer, with a smaller camera. Behind him was Malik. Malik was smiling, but there was sadness in his eyes. He'd seen in Bakura's unguarded expression his sorrow and longing for that insufferable twat Ryou.

Bakura felt guilty now. Malik and Mariku were bending over backwards to make him happy, and he was being an ass.

He took a big breath; let it out. Then he removed his ear buds and smiled at the camera, following the photographer's direction as well as he could.

At one point, the photographer said, "It's too bad you don't have a twin too, Bakura."

Bakura didn't so much as twitch, but Malik flinched on his behalf. No one else seemed to notice.

"Of course," the photographer went on, "There is something for being unique… the only one in existence. Like a rare bird."

_So I'm a rare bird? What the fuck is this guy talking about?_

Once the photographer had snapped all the pictures he wanted and announced that they were done for the day, Bakura walked over to Malik.

"That was great work, Bakura. Can't wait to see how those shots turn out—"

Bakura took Malik's face in his hands and kissed him deeply, lovingly.

XXX

Mokuba's phone chimed and he grabbed it out of his pocket.

It was a text message from Jouno. _Hey, Mokie :) How's it going?_

He texted back, _Big Bro dsnt wnt me talkn 2 u :( did u 2 hav a fight?_

_Holy shit, _thought Jouno, _learn to type, Kid. _He texted back, _Yes :( I miss him so much ;_;_

_dnt wrry hll miss u 2 much & cum crawln back! LOL_

Jouno scowled at the text for a minute or two, wondering if Mokuba was making this shit up as he went along. Then he texted back, _Thanks, Mokie :)Wanna hang out?_

XXX

"_All my life I been searching for something, something never comes, never leads to nothing…"_

Bakura held the audience in the palm of his hand.

_"Nothing satisfies but I'm getting close… closer to the prize at the end of the rope…"_

He was nervous as he sang _All My Life _by the Foo Fighters. The next song would be the big one—they would be debuting _Brokedown Reflection. _

_It's a huge difference when the words you're singing came from your own heart. _

Bakura felt himself tensing as he sang the final chorus. Malik and Mariku had told him he could change his mind, but he didn't want to chicken out.

The song ended, and the music died down. The crowd was cheering. Malik and Mariku were looking to him to see what he'd decided.

Bakura couldn't see the audience except for their vague shapes. Staring down the spotlight, he took a deep breath, then spoke without thinking too much about it:

"This next song is very important to me. It's one of the first songs I ever wrote, and it'll be on our debut album, 'Tragically Malicious'. This song's called _Brokedown Reflection_ and I hope you enjoy it."

Malik and Mariku started playing _Brokedown Reflection_. Bakura started singing, and once again, he held the audience in his hands.

XXX

Soon after Seto Kaiba went to do whatever boring office work he had planned for the day, Mokuba went to meet Jouno at Kaiba Land. He was looking forward to a day of games and fun with Joey— someone Seto was so obviously enamored of, someone who had started to feel to Mokuba like a second big brother.

_I don't know why you keep pushing Joey away, Big Brother. I just hope someday you'll come to your senses!_

XXX

Jouno walked into Kaiba Land slowly, appraising the lobby. There were immense statues of popular Duel Monsters lining the sides, plus two Blue-Eyes White Dragons flanking the grand staircase that led to the second floor. There were lots of little kids running to and fro. They were so cute, so exuberantly happy as they ran and laughed and yelled like little idiots.

Jouno took a measured breath, eyes slipping closed in an attempt to calm himself. How he longed to kill every child with a wish, a shriek, a curse.

_I have to wait until the time is right…. Then, I promise you can kill them all. _

He sent a text message to Mokuba: _I just got to Kaiba Land. Where exactly are you?_

XXX

Ryou was alone most days. Every so often Jouno would show up with groceries and they'd fuck, but otherwise it was pretty dull.

Ryou tried calling Malik's house while drunk, then once or twice while sober, though he was certain to quickly hang up if he didn't have at least a couple of drinks in him.

_Once I'm healed up and my foot is out of this fucking cast, I'll head over there and clean house. He'll have to come back with me. He won't have a choice. _

After about a week of brooding and being fucked into various surfaces around the house by Yami Jouno, there was a knock on the door. Ryou could tell it wasn't his fuck buddy, or a delivery man. The tapping of small knuckles on the door was too gentle, too polite.

Ryou hobbled slowly to the front door partially due to his state, partially because he was hoping the person would grow impatient and leave before he got to the door. But he knew that wouldn't happen, just as he knew who it was before he opened the door and saw Yami Yugi standing there.

He was surprised to see Ryou's foot in a cast. Ryou had asked Jouno not to tell anyone because he didn't want to be bothered by the likes of Yugi and his friends.

"What happened to your foot?"

"What are you doing here, Yami? I don't have any more friends for you to spirit away."

"I came to check on you… I was hoping you'd be in a better state than this."

Yami leaned forward, politely indicating that he wanted to enter, but Ryou was standing firmly in his way.

"… May I come in?"

"It's not a good time. I haven't had the time or energy to clean up lately, so it's kind of a nightmare in here. I'd prefer you didn't see it, so—"

He swung the door to shut, but Yami caught it and entered. "Don't worry; I doubt it's as bad as you think. I'll even help you straighten up."

To Ryou's horror, two big bright smiles suddenly appeared behind Yami and followed him in. "Anzu! Yugi? What…?"

Anzu held up a large covered basket for Ryou to see. "We brought you some food, Ryou."

Yugi was holding a stack of books and DVDs. "Thought you could use some entertainment."

XXX

**22**

**tuesday's gone**

**finish**

**A/N: **Sorry it took me so long to update! Thanks for reading! PS I made a couple of illustrations! They're just rough sketches, but kinda cute. You can find links on my profile page.


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